Blood Moon
by DarkBladeX17
Summary: Shortly after Sailor Moon S; A powerful vampire from the Feudal era plots her revenge on Sailor Moon. Can Sailor Moon save her friends from the mistakes of their past?
1. Attack in the Night

BLOOD MOON  
  
by DarkBladeX17  
  
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PART 1: NEW MOON  
  
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Chapter 1: Attack in the Night  
  
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Rei Hino had a very strong feeling of dread this night. She was familiar with her precognitive powers and knew that they could be trusted, and often she wished that she couldn't. Just as everything was starting to get settled down following the battles against the Death Busters she had to feel a new imposing threat. But this feeling was very different from that of the Death Busters; she had dreams of the darkness consuming the world, of the Sailor Senshi's destruction by it, and of the Chalice that would save them. But this time there was only an icy feeling of doom that she hadn't been able to shake off for the last three days, and her attempts to better understand her premonitions had failed. After three long days and sleepless nights she was no closer to understanding then she was before. She had put off telling the others until she had more to tell them than "I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen!", and after their latest battles the last thing she wanted to do was worry them for no reason, but she had no other choice now. In the morning she'd get the others together and tell them. In fact she was certain that they would already know something was troubling her, unless she overestimated her friends giddy return to normal life and they were utterly clueless with school exams, boyfriends, shopping, whatever. Hopefully she could at least count on Luna's usual vigilance to signs of impending danger.  
  
She was exhausted after the continued loss of sleep, studying, her regular temple duties, and the four hour fire meditation session she had just finished. It was long past midnight and she had been in her robes all day on a hot day and she had just gotten out of a room with a large blazing fire, a nice bath would feel good and might help her sleep, but why not get some fresh air first? She slipped on her sandals and stepped out to the front yard of the temple. The night temperate outside was quite pleasant and the fresh cool breeze was soothing to Rei. So soothing in fact her ominous feeling started to life and she felt good for the first time in days. She decided to take advantage of her current mood and continue walking through the temple grounds. She walked into the forest grove enjoying her late-night stroll through the trees. There was enough moonlight for her to avoid tripping over the roots and the entire forest seemed to shine in a way she didn't understand.   
  
After a few minutes of peaceful strolling through the forest she started to shiver as her feelings of a vague and imminent doom returned quickly and powerfully. Rei no longer felt comfortable alone in the forest in the middle of the night and she started her return to the temple. She received a feeling of immense danger nearby and she stopped in her tracks and reached into her robes and held her transformation pen close to her. Nervously she backed herself against a tree and looked around the surrounding area looking for any signs of a threat with both her eyes and her instincts. She had a very strong feeling that her walk was a very bad idea. Slowly she stepped away from the tree and cautiously took a couple of steps in the direction of the temple and the safety she perceived in it.  
  
Suddenly a cold hand grabbed Rei roughly and forced her back against the tree. She felt long fingernails under her chin holding her head up and with impossible strength she was lifted off the ground. Rei fumbled within her robes to find something to fight back with, either one of her mystical wards or her transformation pen. She no sooner found the object that would turn her into Sailor Mars then the other hand clamped down on her painfully. She felt claws digging into her skin and she dropped the pen which rolled off under a bush. Her attacker let go of her wrist and then wrapped her arm around her waist pinning Rei's arm to her side and drawing Rei closer to her. Frightened, Rei looked for the first time at her attacker. With shock Rei realized the face of the girl was her own only with brilliant amber colored eyes and short dark silver hair. The eye and hair colors slowly changed before her eyes to match her own before reverting to their original color. The pale girl's face also changed into an unfamiliar but beautiful woman. The woman, stilling holding Rei up against a tree by her chin, gave Rei a quick inspection.  
  
"So you must be Sailor Mars. I'm rather disappointed that you were this easy, I had considered you to be the biggest threat to me.", the woman said in a tone of bored disappointment.  
  
"Who are you and what do you want?" Rei asked her defiantly. She tried to be brave but she knew she was in immediate danger, unable to fight back and her only hope would be the arrival of the other Sailor Senshi. The woman smiled coldly and then leaned into Rei to whisper into her ear.   
  
"I'm sorry; you don't need to know who I am. But I can tell you what it is I want." The woman then lowered her head down to Rei's neck and she felt the icy lips kiss her throat. The woman felt the blood flowing through Rei's veins under her lips and smiled as she felt her heartbeats increase to a racing speed from her touch. She lingered with her lips on Rei's neck enjoying the steadily increasing heart rate and the girl's moans and trashing attempts to break free. Suddenly she released Rei's chin and hugged her tightly pinning both of her arms to her.   
  
With a quiet purr of delight the woman bit into Rei's throat and tasted her warm and delicious blood. Rei shrieked at the bite and increased her attempts to free herself batting the woman ineffectively with her free arm. She felt a draining sensation through out her body and her fingers and toes started growing cold and she felt her own blood running down her neck. "Somebody help me...Sailor Moon...where are you?" she moaned as she felt the blood flowing through her body and seeping from the wounds in her neck into the woman's mouth. The woman felt Rei start to spastically twitch underneath her strong grip; she tightened her hold on the girl and continued feeding. She had starved herself to prepare for this night and the blood of a teenager had always been her favorite. She drank Rei's sweet blood with a trained slow pace, a method she had developed to fully savor the taste of blood and the fear of her victims.   
  
She purred again as Rei began to cry between her moans of terror. The girl began to twitch and shake more violently, one of her favorite reactions of her victims. Rei's feet dangled and kicked uncontrollably nearly a foot off the ground until one of her soft sandals slid out from between her toes and silently fell off. The woman fed slowly from Rei for over a minute until her moaning and attempts to escape stopped as the girl lost consciousness from the loss of blood. The vampire continued to feed on the girl for nearly another minute as she started to grow cold in her arms. Finally she felt the last of the girl's spasms as Rei Hino's fiery heart stopped beating and she died in the arms of the vampire.  
  
The woman withdrew her fangs from Rei's cold throat and lapped up the blood that has trickled down her neck. She felt bloated having completely drained the girl but hated to let any of her blood go to waste. She again grasped her by the chin and held up her head so she could look at her face. Rei's eyes had closed sparing her the normally glazed over stare of her kills and the last of her tears were drying on her cheek. She always felt a brief sadness after feeding, not for killing the innocent girl, she had gotten over that long before, but a as a fond memory as she savored the feelings and tastes while they were the freshest in her mind.   
  
She finally forced her mind to stop drifting and returned to the business at hand. She relaxed her grip on the girl and leaned in close again. Her lips still red with Rei's warm blood she gently kissed the girl on the mouth. It was a technique she had developed herself, returning a minuet amount of the victim's blood along with some of her powers would keep the body intact and preserved for future use. She had learned in the past that keeping living prey could be as dangerous as bringing them back too soon: somebody left alive could escape and a new vampire could get into trouble before being fully controlled or trained. Her best course of action was to keep Rei dead until she was ready to revive her, and she would make sure nothing could stop her before she would do that. She leaned Rei's body into her left arm then knelt down and placed her right arm under her legs so she could carry the girl. It was simple enough with both hands and her impressive strength. Then she walked over to the bush where she had heard the transformation pen roll under. She knelt down again and fished around until she found it, there was no sense in leaving evidence of the attack and she would need it regardless.   
  
Having completed her mission for the night she silently rose into the air. She couldn't cloak herself in flight but she was confident nobody would notice her. And anybody who did could be dealt with easily enough. She was tired from her journey, preparations, and hunting on an empty stomach, her overfull belly was still uncomfortable, she looked forward to a few quiet nights with nothing more strenuous to do than watch and plan her next action.  
  
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This is my first story to fanfiction.net. I hope you enjoy it and give me any feedback on what you thought or any mistakes I have made. I suppose I need to say that I didn't create the characters of Sailor Moon just in case anybody thought I was Naoko Takeuchi writing in secret on a fanfiction site on the web rather than publishing my stories and making more money for myself.  
  
Update: 2/25/04 - Gonna make a few revisions to the storyline, including a character name change. 


	2. Disappearance

Chapter 2: Disappearance  
  
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Serena was late as usual with Luna at her side complaining at every step.  
  
"I can't believe you can oversleep like this every single day!" the cat said.  
  
"I just like to sleep in! I wasn't planning on sleeping until noon!" Serena cried. Luna shook her head in disbelief. There were times when she was amazed that the world hadn't been destroyed yet. No matter how many battles they fought, the enemies they had to face, the responsibility she had as Sailor Moon, Serena was seemingly never going to mature. They had been together a long time now, Luna could remember when Serena would panic at the very sight of a monster and now her courage could see her through even when alone against the most powerful enemy they could imagine. But why couldn't she get her head together for the normal things in her life?  
  
"I can't believe I'm so late! Rei is going to kill me!" whined Serena. Luna didn't even dignify it with an answer. Instead they kept running toward the temple where they had agreed to meet for an all-day study session. Their recent battles couldn't have come at a worse time and if they had any intention of getting into a decent high school they were going to need to cram. Three times a week. All day. Unless they ran out of time, in which case they would be pulling day-long study sessions everyday they didn't have something to fight. It was suggested by Amy, strongly supported by Rei, reluctantly accepted by Mina, acknowledged by Lita to be a necessary evil, and Serena thought it the worst thing that they could ever force on her. She really didn't know if she could survive so much studying.  
  
Serena and Luna finally made it to the steps of the temple. Luna charged up without a second thought until she realized Serena was at the bottom panting like a dog. She then gave a startled yelp when a hard gust of wind gave her a sudden chill. The wind was blowing pretty hard already and it felt more like early winter then summer.  
  
"Hurry up Serena!" Luna yelled.  
  
"I'm too tired! Let me catch my breath before I climb all those stairs!"  
  
"You're late enough already and you're almost there!"  
  
"I'm already an hour late! I don't think they'll care if I'm another minute late Luna!"  
  
"Serena! Are you planning on coming up here?!" yelled Lita from the top of the stairs. Serena groaned and then trudged up to join her and Luna.  
  
"It's about time you made it. We've bee-", Lita was interrupted by Serena.  
  
"I'm sorry! I overslept! We still have ALL DAY to study! I'm here! Let's go!" she yelled.  
  
"Serena, I wasn't talking about that! We figured that Rei must be with you. Where is she?" Lita said puzzled, looking around to see if Rei was nearby.  
  
"Wait, Rei's not here?  
  
"No, but if she's not with you..."  
  
A concerned look come across Luna's face. Rei wasn't the kind to be late, especially since she lived at the place they were meeting. If she wasn't at the temple then where would she be?  
  
"Have you asked her grandfather?" Luna asked Lita.  
  
"Yeah, he has no idea where she is. Of course, he's been chasing the girls around the temple again..." Lita said, letting the end just trail off. All the girls knew Rei's grandfather and his girl chasing, he left them pretty much alone since Rei would yell at him. Amy and Mina ran up to meet with Serena, Lita, and Luna at the top of the steps.  
  
"Serena!" yelled Mina.  
  
"Have you seen Rei? We haven't been able to find her.", Amy asked. They spent a few moments getting caught up on the single fact they had: nobody had any idea where Rei was.  
  
"I don't understand it" cried Luna "if anybody had to disappear when it was time to study I would have thought it would be Serena!".  
  
"Hey!" Serena started.  
  
"Yes, if anybody would ditch a cram session it would be Serena.", Amy stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.  
  
"Oh thanks Amy!"  
  
"She's right Serena, Rei wouldn't skip out on us. You probably would though." said Mina, adding fuel to the fire.  
  
"Oh, you too Mina?!" Serena whined starting to tear up. "I guess Lita is my only real friend!"  
  
Lita blushed and and Serena caught her with an annoyed expression.  
  
"You were going to gang up on me you, weren't you Lita?" she grumbled.  
  
"No, well, I mean, I don't need to say anything. They've already said three times!" Lita said, laughing with her arm behind her head.  
  
"Well, I don't need to stand around and take this from you guys! I'll be waiting inside ready to study my brains out! You can wait out until Rei finally shows up! I'm not the only one who can be late once in a while!" Serena dramaticallyyelled at them as she stormed into Rei's room with her pigtails trailing behind her. She slammed the door as hard as shecould and as hard as a sliding door could slam anyway. The other girls stood around looking at her with some disbelief.  
  
"I hope we weren't too mean to Serena" said a concerned Lita.  
  
"I don't know. Usually she cries if we're too mean to her. I don't know if she's mad at us or really worried aboutRei." said Mina. Amy was about to speak when another strong gust of wind blew across ruffling up skirts and startling thegirls.  
  
"Why is it so windy today?" asked Amy.  
  
"I don't know. Let's go inside, I'm sick of the wind right now" said Lita. Amy and Mina nodded in agreement, Amypicked up Luna, and they turned towards the temple. Lita started after them until felt something brush against her ankle. She looked down and saw what had touched her and then picked it up in confused disbelief.  
  
"Mina. Amy." said Lita uncertain of what to say. The other girls turned around to look at her and she held up whatshe had found. They both looked confused and quickly rejoined Lita.  
  
"This isn't..." Lita started as they all looked at her find: a small yellow sandal. The same kind Rei wore with herpriestess robes.  
  
"Where did you get that from Lita? asked Mina.  
  
"It brushed against my leg, I guess it was blowing in the wind."  
  
"Do you think it's Rei's? If it is, then where is she?" asked Amy. Luna looked around the area and then at the woods.  
  
"If it was blown by the wind, then it must have come from the forest!" Luna said. They all turned and looked at thecluster of trees.  
  
"Ok, Amy, you go get Serena. I think something happened to Rei and she might-" said Mina.  
  
"Umm...excuse me?" said a polite voice from behind them. All the girls screamed and jumped away from the voice. They turned and saw rather confused looking young woman with short silver hair and soft amber eyes wearing the uniform of a nearby cram school.  
  
"Excuse me" she started politely "I didn't mean to scare you or interrupt your discussion...but you were blocking the stairs and-" she trailed off as she noticed that their intense conversation had apparently been over a sandal. Flustered she quickly ran down the stairs leaving the girls embarrassed and temporarily forgetting Rei's disappearance. They watched as she turned the corner and disappeared from sight. Mina again addressed the other girls.  
  
"Amy, go get Serena. We need to find Rei right way, I hope nothing has happened to her." 


	3. The Unhappy Girl part I

Chapter 3: The Unhappy Girl part I  
  
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Hikari abruptly opened her eyes and she knew that she must have had the nightmare again. She sat up in her bed and tried to remember her name. Every time she had the nightmare she always awoke not remembering who she was. It always passed after a few seconds but it disturbed her. The dream would come to her every once in a while but it was always the same: she wouldn't suddenly awaken in fright like other nightmares she had, this one always felt like she had suddenly left a different world and entered the real one just by opening her eyes. The nightmare was always so realistic and she couldn't understand why she kept having it, or why she always had feelings of loss and loneliness after having it.  
  
She got to her feet and was getting dressed when her sister Miyo came in. Miyo has 15 years old but she looked and acted like she was younger. She always had a big smile on her face and a such cheerful demeanor that only the death of their father had ever made her cry.  
  
"Hikari! You're finally awake! Mom was getting worried about you!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Oh. What time is it Miyo?" Hikari said with a yawn.  
  
"It's late! Mom's been waiting for you, but she doesn't like to disturb you when" she paused with uncharacteristic concern on her face, "When you have those dreams." Miyo and their mother Kimiko could tell when she was having the nightmare. They usually let her sleep later when she was having it. Hikari didn't answer Miyo for a moment knowing how they both felt about her nightmares.  
  
"I'll be out in a moment. Did you save me some breakfast?" Hikari asked. Miyo's smile returned.  
  
"Nope! We ate it all and threw any scraps to the birds!" Miyo beamed, "Of course we left you something! How can you start the day without something to eat?" Her sister left the room so Hikari could finish getting dressed. She spent the most time in front of the expensive mirror her father had given her when she was 17. Hikari looked intensively at her long and beautiful silver hair and her bright amber eyes. She didn't understand why she looked so different from her mother and father, neither had silver hair, and both of her parent's eyes were a dark brown. Miyo didn't have the unusual eyes or hair either. Hikari finished her grooming and ate her late breakfast and walked outside into the late morning sunlight.  
  
It was early summer in the small village of Kagoshima. Hikari look out at the many farmers tending to their fields, the fishermen angling in the nearby stream, the younger children scampering about, in all it was yet another uninteresting day in her life. For several years now Hikari had been bored with the everyday life of the village because it all seemed so unimportant to her. She had liked things better when her family used to move in the winter to the large city of Sugita. She fondly remembered when she was younger and they had lived in the palace. She always felt more comfortable when she was in the palace then anywhere else and the lifestyle of the royal court seemed so natural to her and everything else felt alien, like she didn't belong. Hikari started having her nightmare shortly after her first visit to the palace.  
  
She walked out to the large field that her family helped maintain to perform her daily duties. She couldn't understand why her father had forced them to live like common peasants. He had been one of the finest swordsman in the land, a self-taught samurai who had come off his family farm. He had quickly made a name for himself and then settled down to raise a family. It was a few years after Hikari was born that he become the instructor of prince Takuya Kawada. He relocated his family to the city and began the prince's training, but after a few years of living in the palace they returned to the farmlands. He continued the training the prince but would had them join him in the palace every winter. Hikari grew to dislike her father and question his judgment in sending them away to struggle with the common people while he lived in luxury. Miyo developed an extremely strong attachment to their father since she didn't see him for half the year and he spent more time with her then he did with Hikari. She thought she might have resented her father for it but she found that she didn't care. Nothing in her life seemed to matter to her and she felt isolated from her parents. She couldn't understand how she could be their daughter, their appearance, attitudes, choice of lifestyle, she simply didn't feel a connection with either of them. The only one in her family she honestly cared for was Miyo.  
  
She couldn't find her mother but Hikari joined Miyo and the other farmers in tending the fields. Her mind started to drift back to two years ago. She was 17 that her father was summoned by the prince to join him in battle. He said his farewells to his family, gave Hikari her mirror, promised Miyo that he would return shortly, and he rode off with the army. Despite the gravity of the situation Hikari was excited to see him leave. The army had passed through the village and the prince had come to their home. She knew the prince Takuya from where they were younger and they were friends when her family had lived in the palace, but she hadn't seen him since they had started the village to city cycle until he arrived at their home. It was the most excitement she had ever experienced in her life and she didn't care that she would never see her father again. Four months later prince Takuya and his entourage returned to the village, her father had been mortally wounded protecting Takuya after he had lost his left arm in battle. He carried the dying prince back to safety but died of his own wounds shortly after. Takuya miraculously survived his injury but he withdrew himself from the battle and declared is  
  
younger brother to be their the successor of house Kawada. The young prince tried to console her when they returned to the village but she sent him away. While she herself didn't feel much for the death of her father she was disgusted that the man he died for would throw away his honor and exile himself.  
  
The day passed slowly for Hikari like it always did. Farm life was incredibly tedious to her and she hated the dead end her life had fallen into. Her father was a man with powerful friends but never a large amount of money. When he died his political friends turned their backs on his widow. They blamed his incompetence for Takuya's disgrace and offered nothing to his family. All they had were the farms and their house which was larger and finer than anything else in the village, but to Hikari it only meant that she lived in the best hovel in a forsaken backwater village. She had no hopes for the future other than some inevitable marriage to one of the local young men. She dwelled on her life while she worked giving Miyo half-hearted responses when she asked a question and tried to start up a conversation and ignored the meaningless gossip of the other women. After several creeping hours of the same tasks she had slaved over for years she finally decided to do something else with the rest of her day. As she was leaving the field Miyo bounded up to her.  
  
"Hikari, where are you going? You're not going to leave your little sister alone with these nosey old women are you?"  
  
"I need to find mother. I want to walk up to the old temple and speak with the priestess" Hikari said.  
  
"But isn't getting late to go to the temple? Can't you do it tomorrow?" Miyo pleaded "I don't like to be left alone with them, they're always asked questions about what I do-"  
  
"I'm sorry Miyo, but I need to-"  
  
"-if I talk to any boys, which boys do I talk to-"  
  
"Miyo!" Hikari said forcibly to cut off her sister's complaining "It's important. I need to go and the sooner I leave the sooner I can get back"  
  
"But what if it gets dark before you come home?"  
  
"Arisa will let me stay in the temple if it gets too dark. I'll be ok Miyo." she gave her sister a quick kiss on her forehead. Miyo relented the subject and let Hikari find their mother.  
  
She finally found her mother attending to some of their neighbor's sick livestock. Kimiko was one of the most beautiful woman Hikari had ever seen. Her hair was dark brown and her face could only be described as that of a noblewoman. She didn't look like she was in her mid-40s and had two teenage daughters and many of the gossiping women in the town often made comments about her being the daughter of an overthrown house lord. Hikari envied her mother's incredible beauty and didn't understand why she could be so different from her.  
  
"Hello Hikari." Kimiko said "Are you felling well?"  
  
"No. May I head up to the temple? I think I need to talk with Lady Arisa." she asked. Kimiko looked concerned, Hikari had been making the three hour walk to talk with the priestess more frequently. Arisa was young but very skilled and she had been trying to interpret the nightmare for over a year now.  
  
"It'll be dark soon Hikari." Kimiko said. Hikari opened her mouth to repeat what she had told Miyo but her mother continued, "Hurry back if you can, otherwise stay at the temple tonight."  
  
"Yes, mother." Hikari said as she left. Hikari followed the paths out of the village and up unto the hillside road that led to the temple. The temple was once isolated in the wilderness until the village was founded years ago, but it was still a three hour walk to get to there. It was a walk however that Hikari had made many times before and it gave her time to think about the nightmares of both her life and dreams.  
  
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This chapter has taken quite a while to write. I've been a bit busy with work and computer problems so I haven't gotten too much writing time. I'm planning on having more regular updates because I have a lot planned for the story, so keep on reading and thanks for your support so far. A quick note on this chapter: Originally I was planning on wrapping up this feudal era segment in one chapter. But my plans for how it plays out have exploded so I decided to divide it intotwo chapters. I guess as a quick preview the next chapter will give the details of Hikari's nightmare and her awaiting fate at the temple. I'm not an expert on feudal era Japan so I've taken a few liberties with it, the names may not be appropriate for the time and I've stuck with fictional locations, let me know if anything really blatantly wrong has been written in that should be fixed so I don't appear totally ignorant of foreign history. Anyways, again thanks for reading and I promise not to take a week on chapter four.  
  
-DarkBladeX17  
  
Update: 2/26/04 - Gonna make a few revisions to the storyline, including a character name change. 


	4. The Unhappy Girl part II

Chapter 4: The Unhappy Girl part II  
  
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Hikari had much on her mind as she hiked up the mountain to the temple. She found herself incapable of concentrating on a single matter this time as both her nightmare and her everyday screamed for attention. She couldn't focus on understanding why she kept having the same dream for years when her life seemed to being settling into a rut of farm chores, endless gossip, and local boys fighting for her attention. She knew that a farm girl and then farm wife was the worst thing that could happen to her and it was also the only thing she could see happening to her. But she felt she could have had more if only her parents had ambition or even common sense enough to take the opportunity to advance their daughters' station when they had the chance.  
  
After about an hour and a half of hiking she stopped to take a quick rest. She didn't need to take a break as she had made the hike many times before and it longer than it was difficult. Hikari just wanted a chance to collect her thoughts and she sat down on top of a large boulder with a relatively flat top. As she sat on top of the boulder her mind began to drift again towards the life she could of had. When they lived in the palace Hikari wore fine silk kimonos with billowing sleeves and beautiful patterns of dragons and other mystical creatures. She looked at herself with a feeling of disgust, for most of her life she had been wearing simple cotton yukata with little color or decorations. Once her hair was beautifully kept in complex buns with long hair pins, and now she wore it in a simple ponytail tied by a small silk ribbon. Hikari looked down at the simple flat peasant sandals she was wearing, hardly even suitable for muddy fields, and remembered when she had platform geta. The wealthy lifestyle wasn't simply a dream to her, it felt like it was where she belonged. She knew somewhere inside of her that she wasn't meant to live as a poor farmer and that something had robbed her of what was hers. She felt a deep anger towards everything she thought had stolen the life she deserved from her and had left her penniless on a mountain path by a forgotten village. She allowed her anger to fester as she continued up the mountain to Arisa's temple.  
  
Eventually she found herself before the large temple. As she hiked up the path to the gate she was surprised to see Arisa waiting for her. Arisa had long flowing light red hair that seemed to blend in with her robes. Hikari saw deep concern in Arisa's wise green eyes.  
  
"Good evening Lady Arisa." Hikari greeted the young priestess.  
  
"Are you being followed?" Arisa asked with uncharacteristic rudeness.  
  
"No. I don't think I am. Is something wrong Lady Arisa?"  
  
"Come inside Hikari. We have much to talk about." Arisa said before turning and entering the temple. Hikari followed her in and the large gates closed with a loud crash. Hikari was surprised by how deserted the temple seemed to be. Normally the grounds were tended by gardeners and acolytes learning from Arisa who lived in the temple. But tonight there were only a handful of people and they all seemed on edge and nervous.  
  
"What is wrong Arisa? Where is everyone?" Hikari asked.  
  
"Most of them have fled in the last few days Hikari. The ones remaining have the most courage and trust in me"  
  
Both were silent as they crossed the garden and into the exterior halls of the main complex. Arisa led Hikari into her private chamber where they had met in the past. Both women kicked off their sandals and entered the room which was large enough for training a class of martial artists. Arisa sat down and invited Hikari to do the same.  
  
"Hikari, since the last time you visited I've had several strange visitors arriving in the night. They all claim to be completely alone and they all asked the same question: Have any of the villages been having strange nightmares. I'm not sure how Hikari, but people are looking for you and I fear for your safety. This is why most of the people have fled the temple like rats escaping a sinking ship." Arisa said to Hikari in a prompt manner. Hikari didn't know how to respond to Arisa. How could anyone have knowledge of her nightmares and why were they looking for her?  
  
"Arisa, I-" Hikari started unsure of how to continue.  
  
"Hikari, I don't know what kind of threat they represent. I do not scare as easily as common peasants but I sensed something dark around them. But I will do everything to protect you and the village from them. But I need to understand what they're looking for."  
  
"Thank you Lady Arisa, but how will you understand what they are looking for?"  
  
"I need to analyze your dream again. Please go over it from the beginning again Hikari." Hikari looked at the priestess while struggling to understand why anybody would be looking for her. She slowly nodded to acknowledge Arisa then closed her eyes as she concentrated on remembering her nightmare in as much detail as possible.  
  
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Hikari started to slip into a haze as she concentrated on the misty images that plagued her for years. It came to her that despite the effort to remember it came to her more vividly then it should. The thought vanished from her mind as she felt herself vanish from the temple and enter a world of gray. She floated though the gray and slowly colors began to form and she found herself in another world. She felt solid hard tiles beneath her feet and she looked down and saw beautiful a pattern on the floor. She realized that the title seemed to radiate it's presence at her and that the actual pattern remained a vague blur of color. She also discovered that she was dressed in a beautiful and elegant gown. Hikari looked around and she found herself in a beautiful garden leading to a massive palace-like building. The garden was more beautiful than anything she could believe possible yet everything seemed to be surrounded in a fog that perverted her from truly seeing the flowers, the fountains, and the architecture of the building. She walked into the gardens breathtakingly illuminated by the moonlight above brighter than any night she had ever seen and even the moon has covered in a cloud making it an orb of amazing light. She crossed the garden in utter awe of the splendor of the grounds. As Hikari walked up the steps leading to the palace she stopped suddenly when an overwhelming presence overtook her. In a flurry of sound and light Hikari was surrounded by people their featureless faces hidden by the strange mist. She looked around the people who had suddenly appeared and could hear music from within, laughter, cheering and conversations that seemed nothing more than a unintelligible murmur of voices. Hikari stepped forward into a giant and vast hall filled with elegant people dancing and she felt a strange familiarity overpowering her. She was a part of this world of beauty and grandeur and it was a part of her. This world she found herself in was a eternal paradise of peace and celebration of the joys of life. She passed into the hall and joined the people dancing with faceless ghosts.   
  
Hikari lost all sense of time among the members of the dance. She drifted among them in a blissful and slow waltz until she found herself standing outside them again. She didn't understand why she left the inner circle but only knew that she had to stop dancing. She started to scan the faces trying to find a familiar one that would stand out from the rest. Then she found what she was looking for. Standing opposite of her across the hall she saw a man. She couldn't make out his features or the dark silver uniform he wore but she felt herself drawn to him. She didn't know who he was or what he looked like but she knew that she loved him. Her heart started to ache in her chest as she worshiped him from afar as a new feeling flowed into her. A terrible pain spread through Hikari as she started to understand that she loved him but he didn't love her. She felt the pain of watching from a distance, trying to be close to him, but his heart didn't belong to her. He never even knew how she longed for him. Hikari started to become lightheaded as emotions surged through her mind. She felt pain, sorrow, confused, angry, terrified, she couldn't separate one from another. Then the dancing people began to blur into each other becoming a colorful and dense moving cloud between her and him. Hikari felt like she had escaped from her body and was now a floating spirit. The voices started to rise to a roar the world started to spin around as a silver cloud appeared around him. Hikari's head felt like it was ripping itself apart as everything began to lose its shape and she could see through everything around her. The last thing she saw before the world completely dissolved was herself standing beside him with a cold gaze in her eyes.  
  
Suddenly everything became clear again. She heard the music once more and she discovered she had returned to the garden. Hikari didn't understand what had happened inside or how she had gotten out. She ached inside and still felt lightheaded and she leaned into a nearby fountain. Her eyes didn't have the same heartless expression on them as they did before. She was sitting by one of the fountains when she heard a voice from above and she looked up at the balcony. A sudden shocking chill ran through her at what she saw. It was a impossible contrast that her mind wouldn't accept and she suddenly remembered that she was having a dream. A shapeless being of radiant light and beauty stand above her beside a vaguely human shaped cloud of darkness. She couldn't comprehend what she was seeing but she could feel it from inside her deep and instinctive. The one figure represented everything that was good in the paradise world but the other was the incarnate end of it all. She felt an unknown terror as she looked at the dark man that started to turn into hatred. She knew he had come to destroy their world. Everything that she knew and loved was unaware of the danger that had let walk among them. The ethereal feeling returned to Hikari and she knew that the end had come. The world suddenly went black as she silently screamed a warning that was too late to matter. When the world returned the paradise had turned into a flaming hell that engulfed her. She could hear endless screams surrounding her and felt a dark presence of tremendous power all around her. She stumbled to her feet and staggered through a world completely out of focus that was collapsing around her. She felt the death of the world around her and the suffering of everyone caught up in the end of the world and she suddenly felt the source of the destruction. A being of immense hatred and evil seemed to loom above Hikari was she looked over the flames and chaos at an shapeless shadow towering over her. She had a final glimpse at the darkness that destroyed her an unspeakable evil that had descended upon them from the glowing moon. She tried to scream and felt pain as if a hole had been torn into her and she felt the sensation that she was rising into the air towards the bright orb that unleashed the shadow on them.  
  
------  
  
And then she felt herself lying on a solid surface and she could hear a voice calling out a strange name that didn't belong to her yet sounded familiar. She opened her eyes and saw a young woman sitting over her calling out the name with a look of concern on her face. It took Hikari a few moments to adjust to the real world like it always did. Arisa looked relived when she finally sat up.  
  
"Hikari, are you alright?" Arisa asked. Hikari still felt lightheaded and tired, something that was uncommon after awakening.  
  
"I'm fine Lady Arisa. I'm sorry I worried you-" she began but was interrupted.  
  
"Hikari, you went into a trance for over three hours." the priestess said.  
  
"A trance? But how?"  
  
"I'm not sure Hikari. Are you certain you feel alright?" she asked again. Hikari nodded to her and started to rise to her feet when a loud crash was heard from outside and panicked voices arose. Arisa quickly got to her feet and started for the door.  
  
"Lady Arisa, what's happening?" Hikari asked in frightened voice. A feeling of dread came upon her and she didn't need the grim priestess to confirm what she already knew.  
  
"The people looking for you are attacking us." Arisa said in a surprisingly calm voice. Hikari rose to her feet and staggered slightly. Arisa turned back and helped her gain her balance when the door slid open. Hikari let out a cry as a small group of armed killers entered the room with their swords drawn. Arisa stood between Hikari and the four men and two women who had entered. One of the men looked at the priestess and her ward and stepped forward to address them.  
  
"Priestess, this doesn't concern you. Stand aside and surrender the girl to us." he said. Arisa stood defiant before them.  
  
"I will not allow you to harm this girl and I'm warning you not to underestimate me." Arisa said firmly in a cold voice. The six of the intruders turned to one another chuckling at her warning.  
  
"Rest assured priestess, we would never harm this girl more then necessary. But we could easily destroy you and all of your followers and my master is giving you a choice: The lives of you and the others here or the girl. He's feeling generous because you found her for us." the man said.   
  
"I will not bargain with her life, if you want her then come and take her!" Arisa said in her strong and collected voice. The man didn't say another word but rushed forward with his sword. Arisa quickly ran towards him and gracefully sidestepped his attack. She then grabbed a hold of his sword arm and threw him over her shoulder and he landed on his back with a grunt right before Arisa swiftly followed through with a kick to his head. It made a sickening crack as it connected and he laid still.  
  
"Run Hikari!" Arisa cried out as the other five lunged at her. Hikari stepped backwards out of fright as the four attacked Arisa. She backed up against the wall unable to flee and she watched Arisa fight for the first time. Arisa had the reflexes of a cat and she dodged the clumsy attackers and countered with her swift hands and feet. Arisa threw one of the women to the wall who rose to her feet let out an inhuman hiss. Hikari saw unnaturally sharp fangs in her jaw and when she lunged at Arisa the priestess threw a ward into her face. The woman screamed as the strip of paper clung to her and a thin smoke started to rise from where she tore at the ward while the fallen leader of the group rolled over with a groan. Hikari screamed at the sight and Arisa turned as she realized that Hikari was still in the room.  
  
"Hikari, I said RUN!" the priestess shouted at her. Hikari stood against the wall almost paralyzed with fear as the one woman started to burn. She saw the attack coming while Arisa was distracted and tried to warn her.  
  
"Arisa! Behi-" Hikari screamed too late. The priestess had centered her attention on Hikari and never saw the man behind her until he had grabbed her by the waist with one arm and took her hair with the other. Arisa let out a brief cry as he pulled her hair and tilted her head back and Hikari screamed as he bit her into Arisa's throat. The woman struggled to free herself while Hikari watched in horror as he drank the blood flowing from her neck. She drew another ward in her right hand to defend herself but another of the men pulled her arm back and bit into her wrist. A trickle of blood flowed from her wrist staining the ward as it slipped to the ground. The remaining woman clutched at her other arm and bit Arisa below the elbow. Hikari slid back against the wall way from the sight screaming as Arisa fell backwards and her attackers loweredwith her maintaining their hold on her. The leader of the group quickly scrambled to his knees and crawled over to the fallen priestess' nearby leg. With a triumphant cry he took her leg and bit into her above her ankle. The final man ripped open her lower robes and bit into Arisa's thigh. The priestess shuddered violently while her killers greedily fed on her. She looked up at Hikari and Hikari saw the impending death in her eyes.  
  
"Hikari! Go!" Arisa issued out her final command before she began to cry out in pain again. Hikari continued to stare at her death throes and saw small blood pools forming where they had bitten her. Hikari's paralysis finally broke and she ran   
  
through the nearby door forgotten by the group as they killed Arisa. She crashed through the door and felt a slight breeze blowing and cool grass beneath her bare feet. She found herself behind the main temple building and she could hear the sounds of the battle. As she ran in the shadows along side the building she came to a junction to the main courtyard. She peered around the corner and saw the temple's defenders battling the intruders. They were little more than peasants with some basic martial arts skills and what their opponents similarly lacked in skill they made up with power and seeming invincibility. She watched as one attacker threw an acolyte monk through a wall before being feathered with arrows, he staggered under the attack and then lunged at the archers even though he should have been killed instantly. Hikari didn't waste any more time and she continued her escape from the doomed complex. She snuck around the parameter unseen by the enemy. The gate laid smashed before her but was completely unguarded. She took a deep breath and then dashed to the fallen gate and scrambled over it and started to run down the mountain path.  
  
Hikari ran for a several minutes down the path until she tripped over a loose stone. She gave a short cry as she fell and her body shortly skid on the uneven surface of the path. She rose to her feet panting from the exhaustion of her escape and from the surprise of her fall. Her yukata was torn in several places and she had a small cut on her leg. Her hands were burning from when she tried to stop herself. She realized for the first time that she was softly crying. Arisa had been the closest thing to a friend Hikari had in the village. She had tried to help Hikari out of a deep concern for her and sacrificed herself so she could escape.  
  
"Arisa" she whispered between her increasing weeping, "I'm so sorry." She sank to her knees slowly and continued to mourn her friend and everyone who died or was dying because of her. "What is happening to me? Why is this happening to me?" she asked out loud to the night. She sank to her knees slowly and continued to mourn her friend and everyone who died because of her. She couldn't understand why people were being killed by monsters for her. What had she done to deserve this horribly real nightmare. A sudden feeling of a nearby presence came to her. She gasped and scrambled behind a tree off the side of the road. She didn't hear or see anything but she knew somebody was close. She wanted to run but deep within her she knew that she could never escape. She scanned the area looking for her enemy and she found a large branch. She reached out and picked it up and felt how heavy it was. She could imagine how it would feel cracking a skull open. Her terror and panic began to fade as her grief started to become anger. She didn't deserve what was happening to her. She would not allow let her miserable life end here and let Arisa die for nothing. The unseen enemy in the forest became the single reason for everything that had gone wrong in her life. Her alienation from her family, her poverty, the dull routine of an insignificant peasant woman, and her nightmares all became the acts of a single malevolent figure that could now be destroyed by her. Once she destroyed this enemy that had been tormenting her she would finally be free. She hefted her weapon and stepped forward onto the path.  
  
"I know you're out there." she whispered to herself. She started to gather her courage and her desire to avenge her miserable existence began to form into a bloodlust.  
  
"Show yourself" she said louder and with more power in her voice, "I know you're here. Show yourself! If you want me then come out here and die trying!" she screamed at the darkness brandishing her club in the air. Suddenly, she felt something moving nearby and from the corner of her eye she saw a man who had not been there moments before and with a scream of fury and terror she swung her club with all her power and it crashed into his head. He didn't seem to expect the attack and he crashed to the ground with a grunt of pain. She lost her rage briefly as she realized that she had actually attacked somebody with the intent to kill. Her surprise and restraint abandoned her and she hefted the branch to strike him down. She swung the heavy limb down towards his head but one powerful hand caught it and he rose to his feet holding her weapon. She tried to force it from his grasp but he yanked it from her hands and threw it deep into the forest. She staggered back in fright and she quickly picked up a nearby rock and hurled it at him and he caught it with ease and dropped it at his feet. Hikari's heart sank with her defeat and she backed away from him. He slowly advanced on her and she could see a deep desire in his eyes.  
  
"I think you understand how much I've wanted you" he said in his soft quiet voice. To hear him speak was somehow soothing to Hikari and she stopped her retreat. Her heart raced in her chest as he continued forward.  
  
"It has to be this way. Your entire existence has led to this moment." he said as he closed the distance. Hikari didn't move as he closed the final distance to her. A hopeless feeling overtook her and she realized that she was powerless to do anything. She couldn't fight, she couldn't flee, all she could do was accept her fate. She shuddered as his hand reached out and stroked her long hair and put his arm behind her head. She looked up into his eyes and again saw a frightening hunger in them, but she also saw a look of pain and intense sadness. She had the dual feeling of some intense maddening desire he didn't want to satisfy. His other arm slipped behind her waist and he pulled her closer to him. As she looked into his eyes she started to accept what was going to happen and her rapid heart rate and breathing began to slow down. He held her in his arms for a few moments staring back at her before tilting her head to the side and bent toward her neck.  
  
Hikari gasped as she felt his sharp teeth pierce her soft throat. It was an intense feeling of both pain and pleasure as her life flowed from her and into him. She struggled slightly in an reflexive response to her injury but Hikari didn't care about or wanted to escape. She looked up the stars while he fed on her and she sighed again at the feel of him drinking from her. He gripped her tighter than before and readjusted her weight and Hikari felt some of her blood escape from her throat and slide down her body before he resumed his feeding. She didn't know how much time was passing but it felt infinitely slow and she hoped that time could stop so the conflicting feelings would never end. Eventually she started to feel an deepening numbness as her body started to grow colder and the only warmth she felt was from her flowing blood. Her sight began to grow blurry, her heart beats were irregular, and she felt extremely lightheaded and exhausted. All she wanted was to close her eyes and sleep. In her final moments Hikari was certain that she had at last discovered happiness, and she peacefully shut her eyes listening to the dying beat of her heart.  
  
----  
  
It had been a long time between updates and I'm sorry. After I had my computer fixed a few weeks ago work and school and family life became a major distraction from writing. I'm taking the story up again as I've had lots of time to plot my next chapters and upcoming events. Don't give up on me yet! This chapter is easily twice as long as any other and covers everything I wanted to achieve before returning to the modern times. We're not done with Hikari's origins yet and I plan on returning to this time in a few chapters. Next chapter will re-introduce some old friends and get the present side of the story running again. Thanks for continued support! 


	5. Searching

Chapter 5: Searching  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
They had been on the enemy's trail for over a week but now they had lost it. Their search had led them across Japan and they were stuck in the costal city of Iwaku unsure of where their quarry had moved to next. It was frustrating to know that the trail had suddenly gone cold and Michelle brushed back her hair absent-mindedly while watching the waves roll onto the beach. Amara hadn't returned yet from her drive, both had decided that they needed some time alone to think and so Amara got in her car and took off and Michelle walked barefoot on the beach. They agreed to meet soon at a beachside restaurant and Michelle slowly walked towards it listening to the sea. She was hoping that the ocean would speak to her and give her the guidance she needed but so far it had only given her cold wet feet. Michelle slipped on her sandals and strolled up the beach to the restaurant and she was pleased to see Amara pull up in her car. She had the grim look that was too frequently anymore for Michelle's taste.  
  
"Get in Michelle, I think I found them" she said. Michelle opened the car door, slid in beside her partner, and they pulled away from the restaurant. As was usual for them Michelle was wearing a dress, a new and light one that she hadn't worn since before their battles in Tokyo, and Amara was dressed in a men's shirt and pants. They drove into the city and neither of them spoke for several moments. Something was wrong between them and they knew it.  
  
"So what did you find? How did you find it? Michelle asked unsure if she was going to be answered.  
  
"I was driving" Amara started, "And I felt something on the wind. It was like a bad smell being carried to me, and I followed it to an abandoned hotel outside of town."  
  
"Are they there?" Michelle asked excited and frightened by the possibility Amara had found them.  
  
"No, they've left again. But we might find a clue to where they've gone" she said.  
  
The two Outer Senshi had left Tokyo following the defeat of the Death Busters in search of a strange feeling that both had coming from the north. It was only a few days until they had both felt it growing stronger and had started following a trail of disappearances of young women. It led them from one coast of the country to another but they hadn't gotten close to their enemies. Michelle felt relived at least they were aware of the new threat, which the Inner Senshi were almost certainly blissfully ignorant of. But if they couldn't catch up to their new enemy they couldn't fight them, though Michelle had a read feeling she knew where they would end up eventually. They drove in silence as they left the heart of Iwaku and entered a run down area near the outskirts of the city.  
  
They pulled into a parking space beneath a large hotel. As she got out of the car she looked around the area, a surprisingly desolate place that didn't seem to fit in. The hotel itself was in bad condition but it seemed to have once been a nice tourist hotel. They went inside the empty lobby and climbed into the elevator.  
  
"Nobody lives here" Amara said.  
  
"Nobody? asked Michelle surprised. The hotel wasn't a total dump and she thought somebody might live in it.  
  
"I checked after I came down. It's completely disserted" The elevator doors opened up and they walked into a large hallway. Michelle followed Amara down the corridor and she noticed most of the doors where open or ajar.  
  
"Why are all these doors open?" she asked.  
  
"I checked them already, there's nothing to see other than some old room. They even have connecting doors leading to their neighbors. The one we want is near the end." Amara replied. They walked towards the last of the apartments which had a closed door. Amara turned the knob and it swung open for them. They found themselves in a large apartment suite. Despite the outer exterior of the building the apartment was well-furnished with good furniture, reprints of famous painting on the wall, and few strange sculptures. However there were large dark stains that appeared to be blood over some of the furniture and   
  
everything was in a disarray as if there had been a fight in the room. They walked through the room cautiously not knowing what to expect.  
  
"What happened here?" Michelle asked not expecting an answer. Amara shook her head.  
  
"I don't know." Amara replied as she turned over an end table and started leafing through the papers that had fallen to the ground. Michelle looked over the room as something started to come to her.  
  
"Amara, do you think" she started as her partner turned to look "That they could be fighting themselves?"  
  
"I'm not sure, what makes you say that?" Amara asked.  
  
"A feeling that just came to me. I think whoever it is we are following might be fighting each other for some reason." She said trailing off at the end. Amara stood up from where she had been working as a loud crash came from outside. They exchanged a quick determined glace at each other and hurried to the window and looked down. From below they could see that one of the exterior doors laid on the ground.  
  
"What do you think caused that?" Amara asked.  
  
"I doubt it was the wind." Michelle replied. They both looked at the ground below for a few moments before Amara started for the door.  
  
"I'm going to check it out. You should keep checking here." she said. Michelle looked her partner in the eye before she spoke.  
  
"I don't think we should separate Amara. We should go together." she said quietly. Amara shook her head.  
  
"I'm only going to see what happened and we can both handle ourselves we need to. But you're right about us fighting alone. I'll come back here if we'll have to fight our way out." Amara said. Michelle smiled in response.  
  
"Ok, be careful." she said as Amara walked out the door. Michelle started to rummage through the documents over the scattered floor. Most of them turned out to be pages of books that were torn out for some reason. A few others seemed to be letters in a language that she couldn't read, she thought it might be German. There were several of them all marked within the last several weeks and the most recent of which only three days before. Michelle knew that somebody lived here recently and whatever had happened could have been last night for all they knew. Several minutes went by before she realized that Amara hadn't returned yet. She thought about finding her but decided to trust her partner and moved instead into what appeared to have been the bedroom. There was a large sliding closet door by the bedroom's entrance and she thought about looking inside and decided to wait until later. She entered the bedroom and saw that was in as bad condition as the main suite with papers thrown everywhere and furniture overturned.   
  
As she looked over the room she saw that there was another door leading into a large room. Amara had said that the rooms were connected and she wondered why the door might be open, it might have been another room belonging to the former occupant of the suite. She walked through the door and entered what appeared to be another suite with an identical floor plan. Unlike the other suite it appeared to have been disserted for sometime. Michelle quickly walked through it to see if there was anything of interest before returning to inspect the other suite. She entered the bedroom which was perfectly dark for a reason she didn't know.   
  
She was about to look for a light switch when she became aware of movement from behind her. Before she could turn around she felt a sudden quick motion and then she felt a cold blade against her throat. She froze not waiting to take any chances of provoking her attacker. The blade held against her neck was extremely long and it felt more like a sword than a knife, she was also surprised that her attacker wasn't holding her except by the blade. She decided to take a chance by speaking.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want?" she said quietly and calmly trying not to get herself killed. The voice that spoke to her from behind was that of a strong and determined man.  
  
"She's not one of them." the man threatening her said ignoring her. She sensed movement in the darkness and heard another male voice.  
  
"She could be working with them." the voice said.  
  
"What about the other one?" said a female voice from the dark. Michelle felt a sudden terror not knowing what could await her partner. The voice from behind her responded.  
  
"We have one of them. Leave the other alone." he said.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Michelle said determined not to be ignored. She thought she might need to transform to fight back but the movement of the sword at her throat stopped her hand.  
  
"We don't want to hurt either of you." said the second voice from the darkness that was standing only inches away from her "But we need to be certain you're not our enemy. I'm sorry.". Before she knew it a damp cloth was pressed to her face cutting off her air. She fought to get free but the man in front of her held the cloth firmly to her face and held her by the waist and the blade was quickly removed from her neck. The grasp was too firm to escape from and she felt lightheaded after a moment. Her entire body felt as light as a feather as Michelle lost consciousness.  
  
----  
  
Well, I'm trying to keep up the pace and update regularly. Next chapter we return to Tokyo with the Inner Senshi and it should be up by next week. I'm also trying to figure out this site's formatting and will be updating the other chapters to get this formatted better. Also forgive the names of my imaginary towns :). 


	6. Return

Chapter 6: Return  
  
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Three days had passed since the disappearance of Rei. The girls tried everything in an attempt to locate her but nothing had come up. They again gathered at the shrine to discuss how to find their missing friend. Mina and Artemis had arrived first surprisingly followed by Serena. Despite her childish behavior most of the time she could become very mature and reliable when push came to shove. Mina could tell that she was extremely worried about Rei, despite the constant fighting and bickering between the two, they had the closest relationship out of the whole group. Amy and Lita came over the top of the stairs with Luna close behind.  
  
"Have you found anything?" Luna called out to the girls standing by the temple. She could tell by the somber expressions in their faces that they hadn't.  
  
"We've looked everywhere." Amy told the other girls, "Rei has vanished without a trace." Serena stared at the ground, everyone else had frustration and fear written on their faces. Suddenly Mina's eyes lit up with surprise and she pointed behind Amy and Lita.  
  
"What, what is Mina? Lita asked confused. She turned around and her jaw dropped.  
  
"Serena!" Luna yelled out trying to get her attention, the girl looked up, then jumped to her feet.  
  
The girls watched as a familiar raven haired girl come over the last of the temple stairs and started towards them.  
  
"Hi everyone, I'm back." she said. There was a confused silence after she spoke. The other girls looked at each other completely baffled by Rei's casual greeting. Rei herself looked confused by the expressions.  
  
"Why is everyone so quiet? Is something wrong?" she asked. Serena then leapt to her feet and threw her against Rei crying.  
  
"Rei! I was so worried about you!" she cried. The other girls quickly followed her example and surrounded Rei and bombarded her with questions.  
  
"Rei, where have you been this whole time-"  
  
"We thought something happened to you-"  
  
"You just disappeared one day, and now you just come back-"  
  
"Wait! One at a time! What are you talking about?!" Rei said trying to be heard over the calamity of voices fighting for her attention.  
  
"You should tell us if you're going to leave like that-"  
  
"We searched the entire city trying to find-"  
  
"We almost gave up hope of finding you-"  
  
"Everyone shut up! Will somebody explain what is going on?!" Rei shouted over the voices. Everyone backed away startled by the sudden violence in her voice. They had all seen Rei angry before but never like this. Mina stepped forward to answer her.  
  
"Rei, three days ago you disappeared without a trace. We came here to meet you so we could study but we couldn't find you."  
  
"We've been searching for days now and there wasn't a single trace of you" Lita interrupted.  
  
"Well, we did find one of her sandals in the woods Lita" Amy corrected.  
  
"Like I was saying, we've spent the last three days trying to find you because we thought you might have been in danger and-" Mina continued before being cut off by the immense look of fury in Rei's eyes. She stepped back as Rei stormed torward towards Serena.  
  
"Serena, you are so incredibly stupid and useless!" She screamed. Everyone was stunned silent by the burst of rage and Serena didn't move as she looked into Rei's eyes.  
  
"What?" What do-" she started but was interrupted when Rei grabbed her by the collar. All the others shouted in  
  
disbelief as Rei shook Serena violently.  
  
"I told you that I had to go! I told you that I had an emergency trip to make and I told you to tell everyone else!"  
  
"Rei?! What are you talking about, you never-"  
  
"You forgot didn't you? I asked one simple thing of you and you forget and look at what happens! You screw up and get everyone into a panic!" she screamed.  
  
"Rei, you never told me anything!" Serena yelled back with tears in her eyes. Everyone froze at the sight of a rage they had never seen before in Rei.  
  
"I can't believe you could not only forget to tell them I had to leave, but that you could actually completely forget here I had gone and led everyone to believe that something happened to me? How incredibly stupid are you to have made such a mistake! This is the most idiotic thing you have ever done!" she yelled as she continued to shake Serena.  
  
"Rei, you didn't tell me anything!"  
  
"Put her down Rei!" Luna said, "You're taking this too far!" The others joined in agreement and with a cry of untold rage Rei threw Serena down. She landed on her butt with a tear-filled grunt and looked up at Rei. She couldn't understand what she saw in Rei's eyes, it wasn't anger, it wasn't any emotion she could have expected to see from Rei. Serena saw raw murderous hatred in her eyes and it was terrifying and completely alien. She couldn't move or look away, she could only stare into the purple eyes that seemed to want to rip her to pieces.  
  
"Rei what's wrong with you?" Artemis forced himself to ask. Nobody could believe the rage that Rei was in and it didn't seem real. She only stared at Serena.  
  
"Are you ok, Rei?" Amy asked.  
  
"That was incredibly rough Rei, even Serena didn't deserve that." Lita added.  
  
"You should calm down, it's alright Rei, there wasn't any real harm done." said Mina.  
  
"Get away from me" Rei finally said still looking at Serena, "All of you."  
  
"But why Rei? Why do-" Lita said before Rei cut her off.  
  
"Because I don't want to see any of you! I can't believe you could possibly stand up for this idiot after what she did to us." The girls were against stunned by her cruelty and attempted to reason with their friend.  
  
"I do not want to see any of you!" she shouted at them "Just go away and leave me alone!" Rei re-shouldered the suitcase she was carrying and stormed past them into the temple.  
  
"I can't believe this" Luna said breaking the silence, "Serena, you have really done it this time."  
  
"But Luna-"  
  
"Serena, do you understand what you did to us?" Mina asked still shaken by the event "She has a right to be angry  
  
with you, for all we knew she could have been dead-"  
  
"Mina, Rei did not tell me anything!  
  
"She doesn't have the right to throw Serena around like that!" Lita said in her defense, "Serena didn't do anything  
  
that deserved what Rei did to her"  
  
"Lita, she didn't-"  
  
"We need to give her some time to cool off. I don't think it's a good idea to try and talk to Rei right now." Amy  
  
said thoughtfully. She then turned and walked down the stairs to the street. Artemis and Mina silently followed her with Luna and Lita trailing behind them. Serena found herself alone in the temple yard, and she never felt as alone before. It was like she lost of all her friends at the same time and she couldn't think of anything to say or do.  
  
"Rei never told me anything." she whispers to herself before she started for the temple stairs.  
  
Rei threw her suitcase on the floor and kicked it aside. It crashed into a wall and splinted the wood with the excessive force she had used. She didn't care because it wasn't of use to her anymore anyway. She quickly stripped her clothes and put on her priestess robes. She walked the temple halls until she found the meditation room and she sat down before the scared fire and started to focus her thoughts. She sat before the flames in a deep and forced concentration before she finally broke down laughing. Her disguise melted away revealing her short natural silver hair and her pallid face with the glowing amber eyes. Hikari continued to laugh wildly as the fires extinguished themselves from her presence. The memory of everything she had struggled for, everything she had lost, and everything she had suffered, all had suddenly became hilarious in the face of her long quest finally being at it's closure. She didn't understand why she was laughing and she forced herself to finally stop by focusing on the long way she had come and the many centuries that had passed. And most importantly she forced herself to concentrate on the ones she had lost. She thought of the sacrifices she had made in her journey, and her thoughts turned to the one death that haunted her. The only voice out of the hundreds she had killed that she had cared for and hadn't been able to silence. A voice that found a place among the cries of a people destroyed by the callous selfishness of a single worthless girl, the people that raged in her head demanding vengeance. Hikari dedicated her unnaturally long life to avenging them and herself. She had crossed an ocean of blood to do so and the world would drown in her revenge.  
  
"She was so close" she muttered to herself, allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in. After hundreds of years she had found her reborn enemy, she had finally come face to face with her. Her spying efforts had been well rewarded, she played the part perfectly and none of the fools suspected anything. It would have been so easy to have ripped open her throat and Hikari could have showered in Serenity's blood. But she didn't wait centuries just to destroy her. Too much was at stake, her vengeance could not be obtained by killing Serenity instantly. She had to suffer for her crimes. She would know what it felt to have her heart broken when she lost everyone dear to her.  
  
"Then the last thing she'll feel is that heart ripped from her breast." Hikari said with a smile.  
  
----  
  
Should be another update soon. 


	7. Miyo's Love

Chapter 7: Miyo's Love  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
Miyo gave a startled yelp of pain when somebody frantically stepped on her foot. She rubbed her sore toes as she continued to edge closer to the large gathering of Kagoshima peasants. Everyone was in an uproar so late in the night and she didn't know why. She was sleeping peacefully until she heard the man screaming in the night. She sat up in a drowsy confusion while the man wailed at the village. She looked outside and saw the rest of the town coming to life as well as one of the farmers threw open his door and helped the man inside his home.   
  
"Miyo" said a voice from behind her and Miyo would have screamed if she hadn't recognized it as her mother's "I want you to stay inside, I'll find out what's going on." Kimiko said. Miyo nodded in agreement as her mother stepped outside and joined the quickly gathering mob. She watched intently from inside but she couldn't make out any of the discussions being held. Time passed without any sign of her mother returning and she finally couldn't wait any longer so she ran outside. Miyo joined the upset mob and she found it even harder to understand what was happening being so close. One voice drowned out another and became a sea of vocal noise. She started to push her way past one of the older women in her path when the door slid open and the farmer stepped out. He shouted above the noise of the mob trying to be heard and slowly the people clamored down and silence returned to the night.  
  
"Everyone, please clam down! I will explain everything we know! he said. In Miyo's excitement she couldn't seem to remember his name though they had lived so close together. He was a handsome young man about the same age as Hikari and everyone though he might be the first to try and win her over. As one of the more upstart and adventurous villagers he would have joined an army if he didn't have to tend the fields for his sick father. The crowd's communal voice started to raise up again and he again called for order.  
  
"I understand everyone's frightened and confused! Please listen to me and do not panic! He is a member of Lady Arisa's temple and-" he started when Miyo's bloody suddenly become cold. Her heart started beating frantically as he continued to speak but she didn't hear a word. Something happened to the temple. Something happened to Hikari. Miyo threw herself forward screaming at the top of her lungs.  
  
"My sister is at the temple! Hikari is at the temple! What happened at the temple?!" she cried out as panicked tears started to flow and her frantic interruption ignited the mob again. Frantic voices drowned out her frightened screams.  
  
"Please listen!" shouted the farmer in an attempt to regain order. The crowd ignored his pleas as they continued to wildly speculate on the disaster that had befallen Lady Arisa.   
  
"He's dead!" a female voice rang out suddenly and the crowd grew silent as Kimiko stepped outside with blood on her hands. Miyo lunged out of the crowd and threw herself against her mother.  
  
"Hikari is at the temple! What if something happened to her?" she cried. Kimiko held her daughter closely forgetting about her blood-stained hands in Miyo's hair. She didn't say anything but she feared the worst as well. The overpowering need to comfort her youngest child kept her from showing her emotions. She didn't want to think about the possibly that Miyo was now her only child. The crowd silently watched while Miyo cried in her mother's arms.  
  
"He died, Kimiko?" asked the farmer.  
  
"I did everything I could Shaburo." she said somberly.  
  
"What happened?!" shouted a young man "What happened at the temple?"  
  
"Please listen. I will explain all that we know" said Shaburo "We know all he came to the village only a short hour ago. He said he was one of the acolytes from Lady Arisa's temple. He said that over the last few days there have been people looking a girl at the temple. They seemed to be dangerous and many of the other acolytes fled the temple and avoided our village. Tonight, they attacked the temple." He paused to catch a breath and compose himself while the villages murmured their confirmed suspicions. "He said about thirty men attacked the temple. They killed everyone who stayed and fought." From behind him Miyo cried harder and he heard a stifled whimper from Kimiko. He turned to face the two of them and still address the crowd.  
  
"He said several people tried to escape. He doesn't know what happened to Lady Arisa, but he's certain he saw a young woman flee the temple." Miyo looked up at him with a slight look of hope in her eyes. "I think we should arm ourselves and investigate the temple. If there is a hope that anyone can be saved I think we should take it." he firmly told the crowd.  
  
"But if they killed everyone at the temple then what can we do about it?!" shouted one of the older men.  
  
"They had some combat training, we're only simple villagers!" shouted one of the village wives.  
  
"If they killed everyone at the temple trying to find somebody what makes you think they'll spare our village?" Shaburo announced. Again the villagers frantically argued over the dangers of their situation.  
  
"Shaburo" came the voice of one of the oldest men "are you willing to take responsibility for those you follow you?" Shaburo turned around and entered his home. The old man shook his head at what he thought as a refusal to answer and the crowd returned to murmurs and wild speculations until Shaburo returned carrying his father's pair of old wakizashis.   
  
"I can't promise anyone's safety. But we need to help anyone who escaped the temple." We have to do this for our own safety, and we have to do this for them." he said motioning at Kimiko and Miyo before returning his attention on the group. "Who is with me?" he asked.  
  
Within twenty minutes he had a party of eight to climb the mountain and find any survivors from the temple.  
  
------  
  
Light. The very sensation of light. It was all that existed as she floated within a sea of darkness. The light couldn't be seen but she could feel it all around her and she felt it grow hard beneath her as the sensation of the firm ground returned to her. With the ground came the body and she could feel herself lying on the ground. Light, the ground beneath it, her body lying on it, nothing seen but all felt by her as the darkness turned into a blinding light. Her name meant light. Hikari was light. Another sensation rushed to meet her and sound returned to her world. The chirping of small birds, the rustle of wind through the trees. Hikari became aware of her surroundings, that she was lying on her back in a forest, be she couldn't see or remember anything. She was surrounded by an invisible world hidden by a screen of light. The sound of voices came to her, voices of people that were coming closer to her. She could recognize the sounds of human speech but the words were washed away into an alien tongue. She could feel the ground tremble from the weight of someone approaching, she could feel a presence beside her and then she felt an arm under her head as someone took hold her. He eyes briefly fluttered and she had the slightest impression of a man looking down at her. Then the world started to fade out again and she slid backwards into the blinding light and the darkness that engulfed it.  
  
Her consciousness started to return and she felt herself moving. There were branches lashed together with something under her and she could feel the swaying motion of the people carrying her. She was again trapped in a blinding light and could faintly hear the world around her. Her body lowered to the ground and she could hear a faint voice. It seemed to be calling her name as it came beside her. A strange and wonderful smell came to her, a rich smell that she didn't recognize and again her name was called out. A distant name floated into her mind as she placed the name with the voice. She tried to speak but didn't have the strength and she lost consciousness again thinking of her sister.  
  
------  
  
Hikari's consciousness again returned surrounding her with sounds and feelings. But this time there was no blinding light and Hikari finally found the strength to open her eyes. Her visions was hazy but she could tell that she was in a house. After a moment she recognized it as her room and as she turned to look around she saw a familiar face come into view. The slight red tint of her brown hair that dangled in front of her eyes, the delight in her dark brown eyes, her face beaming as she turned and shouted down the hall.  
  
"Mother! Hikari woke up! She finally woke up!" she cried before throwing herself on top of Hikari hugging her tightly. Hikari tried to gasp a plea for Miyo to let go but she couldn't find the strength to speak. She felt very tired and drained and she couldn't remember anything aside from her everyday life as a farmer. Miyo was tearfully embracing and almost  
  
crushing her at the same time but Hikari didn't mind the feel of her soft warm skin and she was happy to be with her sister. She smiled looking up at the ceiling, she didn't know what was wrong but Hikari knew she was lucky to have a sister like Miyo. She found her strength and hugged her sister back and pressed her closer. She basked in the girl's love and warmth until she something came to her attention, the steady pulse in Miyo's neck. There was something about the beating rhythm that beckoned to her and she leaned into closer and Miyo was too distracted with her crying to notice. She gently pressed her lips on the girl's throat and felt her blood racing through her artery and a deep hunger rising in her. It was a driving hunger inside and she felt the need to replenish her weakened body, and Hikari shifted her sister slightly in her arms giving her better access to the soft throat.  
  
"Miyo!" shouted Kimiko from the doorway. Miyo suddenly scrambled off and Hikari immediately felt a great disappointment at the warmth that escaped from her and her stomach growled.  
  
"Mother, I'm sorry, I was just so happy-" Miyo explained.  
  
"Miyo, Hikari is very weak right now, you need to be careful so you don't hurt her."  
  
"Of course mother! I wouldn't hurt Hikari on purpose! I was so afraid she might never wake up and then her eyes opened-" she said quickly with a stunned look in her face from the very thought she would hurt Hikari.  
  
"It's alright mother" Hikari whispered weakly at last finding her voice. It seemed to be a great strain for her to talk, there seemed to be no strength in her at all. Kimiko motioned for Miyo to leave, and she quietly slipped out the door, she then knelt down beside her daughter and placed her hand on Hikari's head.  
  
"Please don't talk Hikari. You've been through a lot and you're very weak. You've been sleeping for four days now." she said with motherly concern in her face.  
  
"Four. Days?" Hikari whimpered in confusion. She couldn't understand what happened to her.  
  
"Miyo's been beside you at all times Hikari. You're very lucky to have a sister that cares so much."  
  
"What happened mother?"  
  
"Hikari, there is time for that later." Kimiko said quietly "I'll explain what happened when you've recovered your strength. I'll have Miyo bring you some soup. But you need to rest." She gave a quick kiss to her daughter's forehead and then stood up and left the room. Miyo returned a moment later with a bowl of hot soup.  
  
"I hope you're hungry Hikari!" she said with a smile.  
  
"Starving." she replied. Miyo helped her sit up and with a gracious smile she accepted a sip of soup. It had a bitter taste in her mouth and she swallowed it in surprise. Her eyes watered and her stomach lurched at the horrible taste and she fell over on her side and retched.  
  
"Hikari! What's wrong?! Hikari?!" her sister screamed.  
  
------  
  
A week passed. Hikari shivered on her bed on the floor. Her body was very weak from a lack of nourishment. She couldn't keep down any food and she could see the paleness of her hands. She had never felt more miserable in her life and Miyo was suffering with her. Every day the girl and their mother fought to help Hikari eat. Kimiko left Kagoshima to find some remedy that could work leaving Miyo to attend to Hikari for several days. She was reluctant to abandon her ailing daughter but she decided to take the risk. They didn't have any visitors because of Kimiko's request but Shaburo tried several times to see her. Hikari had tried to sleep but kept waking up for reasons she didn't understand. She was certain she was dying and Miyo seemed to understand. She never expressed her fears but Hikari could see it in her eyes whenever she  
  
coughed up the soup she couldn't stomach. She wished that she would just quietly die and spare her sister the pain. She groaned out loud as a new ache passed through her. Miyo came in the room with another bowl. She forced a brave smile for her sister, she couldn't give up on Hikari no matter how hopeless it seemed.  
  
"I've brought your food Hikari. Are, are you ready to try and eat again?" she asked with a poorly masked despair. Hikari forced herself to sit up. Miyo knelt down beside her and placed the bowl on the floor. They both silently looked at the steaming bowl neither of them wanting to face another failure. Breaking the uncomfortable silence came a brief spattering sound. Miyo didn't seem to notice it and continued to stir the soup but Hikari caught the sound and an enticing smell that hadn't been there before. She saw a dark drop of blood lying on the floor. She looked up and saw another drop forming on Miyo's finger.  
  
"Miyo, you're bleeding." Hikari said with an unexplainable fascination in her voice. Miyo seemed surprised then suddenly embarrassed.  
  
"I'm sorry Hikari! I cut myself while chopping the vegetables, I thought it stopped, I don't want to bleed in your-" Hikari cut her off with a quick whisper.  
  
"Come here Miyo" she said. Miyo slid closer to Hikari. She reached out and took Miyo's hand in hers. There was a fairly deep cut on her thumb and she saw more blood seeping out of it. Hikari didn't saw a word but drew Miyo's injured hand to her lips and kissed the laceration. Warm blood seeped between her lips and into her mouth and she was suddenly assaulted by a taste she had ever known existed. It surpassed anything she had even eaten in her life as a peasant and in the royal palace. Hikari couldn't help herself as she started to suck the blood coming from her sister's hand and Miyo squirmed uncomfortably.  
  
"Hikari? What, what are you doing?" she said with fear in her voice. She couldn't understand what Hikari was doing and she tried to pull her hand away.  
  
"Hikari, stop that!" she cried as Hikari's grip tightened on her wrist. She whimpered at the sudden strength in Hikari's hands.  
  
"Stop Hikari! Why are you doing this?!" she asked and received only an annoyed grunt for an answer. Hikari couldn't  
  
get the sweet liquid out of the meager wound and the struggling was becoming an annoyance to her. She quickly bit down into Miyo's hand with a surprising ease and the girl screamed in fright. The scream snapped Hikari out of a daze and she realized with an icy shock she had just bitten her sister to drink her blood and she released Miyo's hand in shock. The girl hadn't expected it and she tumbled backwards knocking over the bowl of soup and huddled against the wall. Miyo held her hand and felt the blood oozing from where she had been bitten, her heart raced as she looked at Hikari and the lips stained with her blood. Her breathing rose to a frantic rate and she started to hyper ventilate and her sister's paleness slightly faded before her eyes.  
  
"Miyo, I'm sorry, I don't know-" Hikari started shaken by what came over her. She shifted in her bed with a strength she hadn't had before.  
  
"Stay away from me!" Miyo shrieked and she fled from the room. Hikari fell back to the floor bursting into tears. She had stolen blood from Miyo and it made her feel stronger and satisfied some of her hunger. She couldn't understand what was happening to her.  
  
------  
  
Hikari didn't see Miyo for five days. Her mother returned to find her seemingly better but her hopes died as Hikari's condition started to degrade again. Hikari didn't tell Kimiko what had happened and what had given her a brief vitality. Kimiko didn't question Miyo's refusal to take care of her sister, she thought the stress of it had beaten Miyo and attended to Hikari herself. She regularly forced soup down Hikari's throat and she coughed it up moments later. Hikari laid awake in the night wondering why she had to die so slowly, what had she done to deserve such a fate for herself and her family. She was always cold and starving to death at the same time. She also felt two of her teeth grow large and sharp, some new torment for her to contend with. She was wide awake when the door slid open and Miyo entered her room at midnight. She didn't say a word as Miyo sat down hard beside her with her head down staring at the floor. Her hair was unkempt and she saw with strange clarity in the darkness the dried tears on her cheeks.  
  
"Hikari. I'm sorry." Miyo whispered. She then drew a large knife she had kept concealed. Hikari had a sudden panicked feeling that Miyo had come to kill her and she felt almost relived at the same time. By now Hikari welcomed death. The girl  
  
held the knife in her palm.  
  
"You, you were better after-" she quietly began "After you drank my blood." Miyo drew a deep breath and she continued. "I don't know what happened to you Hikari, I don't know why this is happening, I don't understand any of it."  
  
"Miyo-" Hikari whispered softly still unsure of what was going to happen. Miyo looked up at her sister with tears in her eyes."  
  
"I love you Hikari. I'm not going to let you be taken away from me. I'll help you no matter what it takes. If my blood will help you then you can have it." she didn't make a sound as she quickly slashed her palm. Hikari saw the blood seeping out but was too dumbfounded to respond. She saw hope in Miyo's eyes.  
  
"We're sisters Hikari. There's no stronger bond than that." she said as she offered Hikari her blood. 


	8. A New Friend

Chapter 8: A New Friend  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
Serena walked away from the temple with her head down and still crying to herself. She couldn't understand why everything was going wrong so soon after they had defeated their enemies. All the girls where mad at her for something she didn't do and Rei seemed to hate her for making a mistake she was certain she never made. When Rei disappeared Serena did everything to try and find her, she was the friend Serena couldn't bear to lose. She hunted all over Tokyo even well into the night trying to find her missing friend, but then she came back with a fury she didn't know was possible and now it seemed Serena had lost her again. She continued down the sidewalk heading down into the heart of Tokyo, passersby giving quick glances at her, casual acknowledgement of the upset girl's presence as they went on her way. Serena knew in the back of her head she should have taken the bus but she allowed herself to wander on foot. She had more important things to concern herself with than going somewhere, Rei's disappearance disrupted the group's plans and now she was alone and had nowhere to go. Even Luna had abandoned her and Serena knew she must have hit the absolute rock bottom for that to happen. She started crying again as she passed by the restaurant her and the others frequented. The aroma of the food escaping the building beckoned to her and she stopped wallowing in self pity long enough to manage a quick smile at the door. When friends would let her down she could always count on food.  
  
She walked in the restaurant and was greeted by one of the regular waitresses.  
  
"Hi Serena! I guess you need the regular booth?" she said cheerfully oblivious of Serena's mood. She quickly changed her demeanor when she caught Serena's choked up gaze.   
  
"Oh, I guess-, they won't be-, you won't need-" she babbled, unsure of how to finish her sentence "Uh, where would you like to sit?" she finally blurted out. Serena looked around the restaurant towards the booth they normally sat at. Did she want them to find her sitting there crying to herself? She turned and searched for the most out of the way table furthest from their regular booth. She found it in a corner in front of a booth where a young woman had a pile of books on the table and seemed to be reading while eating.  
  
"I want to sit over there" she said trying to show some composure. She was led to the booth and sat down with her back to the door. She was given a menu and she opened it and scanned through the sweets and desserts. The restaurant had some of the best pastries and ice cream in the city and she loved to come here with the whole group- Serena caught herself losing her composure again. She was sick of crying about everything. The reason she was in the current situation was because she acted to immature all the time. She was reading Rei's manga while the others were realizing she had vanished, she had done so because she wanted to chew Rei out when she walked in late after everyone criticized her. Rei had screamed at her because she had forgotten to tell the others that Rei was leaving for a few days, and trying as hard as she could Serena could not remember Rei ever saying she was leaving. Did she so completely forget something so important? The others were so quick to leave her when they heard what Rei had to say, did they really think so little of her? Even if Rei had never told her anything did the others expect Serena to make such stupid mistakes and accepted some lie as the truth? Why would Rei lie about something like that if it would get her into so much trouble, unless she and the others were involved in some cruel practical joke against her.   
  
It began to make sense as she worked it out, an extremely cruel prank to teach her a lesson. Rei and the others were fed up of her behavior, sick of the crying, sick of her tardiness for everything, tired of her being a pain in the neck. So Rei disappears one day and everyone pretends to search for her. She was probably staying at Lita's apartment the whole time. So she finally reappears with a packed suitcase and then flies into a rage because Serena worried everyone because she forgot to tell them where she had gone. They must have all thought she was gullible enough to believe she forgot where Rei had gone. She knew Rei never told her anything, she might have forgotten to tell them they didn't have to meet Rei at the temple that morning but she would never forget for three days while everyone panicked thinking something had happened to her. If that was what her friends thought of her then she didn't need friends like them anymore.  
  
"You hear that?! I don't need dishonest friends like you four anymore!" she blurted out loud to the patrons of the restaurant. The woman with the books was looking directly at her with a strange expression on her face. Serena turned bright red as she realized people where staring at her and her bold declaration of independence to the empty booth. She quickly buried her face in the menu.  
  
------  
  
Her nose was buried in the book for a third time. She couldn't help herself once she had found the old copy she thought had been lost. It was a compelling and fascinating book that was important in the modern era as it was when it was written and a complete distraction from the English literature she was supposed to be reading. She put her book down and picked up one of the novels she had to read for her class, a book of American poetry, careful not to spill her water on anything. Kura Kiriyama never seemed to have the time for her hobby, her studies, and the everyday problems of life and so she found herself in a restaurant eating her lunch while juggling her work and pastime simultaneously. She was proud of her abilities to keep up her grades and make all the free time she needed, but what she really lacked in her life were friends. Kura wasn't an antisocial person, she just couldn't find the time needed to deal with other people. She had classmates and acquaintances and contacts but she didn't spend any time with other girls her age and she was starting to regret it. There was more to life then just her education and her free time to pursue her interests, she felt a strange cry within herself to be with people. In particular she almost felt like she was missing someone in her life, an alien thought she blamed on foreign television, and most likely the silly need to get a boyfriend. Kura was vaguely aware of the multiple of strange emotions she had been feeling over the last couple of years. It almost felt like her life was on the verge of turning down a new direction like the pull of destiny. But she could reject that concept easily enough, there was no such thing as destiny. She was finally growing up and understanding the world and opportunities she had available to her.  
  
"You hear that?! I don't need dishonest friends like you four anymore!" blurted out a voice from the neighboring booth. Kura peered over the edge of the book and saw a young teenager like long blond pigtails and her arms lifted to the air like she had just triumphed over the empty booth. The girl caught her gaze and quickly looked around the restaurant understanding how she had embarrassed herself. She covered her face up with her menu and Kura returned to her book. She studied the style and format of the poetry in the book and tried to understand the complex symbolism the poet had embedded. The poem was harder to understand than she had anticipated and Kura wasn't sure if she didn't get it or if her fluent English was missing something. She fought with the poem trying to grasp what the poet was trying to express but she found she couldn't concentrate. Her thoughts were drifting towards the blonde girl in the booth. There was something about her she couldn't put a finger on and it drifted through her mind preventing her from studying.  
  
She lowered the book slightly and looked again at the girl across from her. The waitress had come by and they were discussing something. Her blue eyes seemed to have a warm and beautiful vitality in them. It was as if Kura could see into her very soul and had found the purest person in the world. She seemed to be upset about something while she talked to waitress but even then the girl radiated some strange cheer and goodwill. She slowly came to realize that she was staring at the girl so intently she didn't even hear a single word that had exchanged between her and the waitress. The strange emotions started to stir within her and she can unconsciously feel herself being drawn to the girl in a way she had never experienced with any other person. The waitress walked away girl then turned and looked back at Kura who was too enthralled to notice. It was a confused and almost frightened expression on the girl's face that broke the spell and Kura snapped back to reality. She quickly raised the book to cover her face feeling flustered that she had been caught.  
  
------  
  
Serena didn't even look at the items on the menu when she quickly hid herself from the startled woman across from her. Everyone in the restaurant seemed to be looking at her after she stupidly said what she had been thinking out loud. It was all her stupid former friend's fault that she was getting so worked up about everything. She was alarmed by the thoughts of breaking up with the other girls because part of her didn't want to leave them. They had been through so much in the time since she first met Amy as they all slowly gathered together to fight evil. They had stood against Beryl, the Dark Moon and the Wiseman, and even the Death Busters and Pharaoh 90 and they were always together in the end. They had accomplished so much and had saved the world so many times. Serena wasn't sure what would happen to the Sailor Senshi if she broke away but it almost didn't matter. Even if the Sailor Senshi respected Princess Serenity, the future queen of the new Silver Millennium, as normal girls they didn't respect her. Even then they had no more enemies to fight, the evil had been defeated and perhaps the world didn't need Sailor Senshi anymore. It was all every confusing as her conflicting emotions of resentment of and her loyalty to her friends battled each other. She didn't know if she should feel guilty or relived or happy or sad if she and the others went their separate ways. Was she betraying them or had they betrayed her first?  
  
"Are you ready to order Serena?" asked the waitress who suddenly appeared at her side. She was slightly startled by the voice but she stopped herself from doing anything stupid.  
  
"Oh! Yeah, I am ready!" she said giving the waitress her order. She smiled as she wrote the order down and then she ran her hand through her long hair.  
  
"Ok Serena, I'll be back with your lunch. Would it be alright-" she started trailing off uncertainly.  
  
"What?" Serena asked in confusion.  
  
"Are you and the girls fighting?" she asked quickly. Serena's frowned slightly at the question but she quickly responded trying to sound collected.  
  
"Yes, we are."  
  
"But why? You and Amy, Rei, Lita, and Mina have been friends for so long."  
  
"It's- it's because they've played a very mean trick on me. And I don't think they respect me. I guess I'm just a big whiny pain in their butts to them." Serena said.  
  
"Oh. Serena, I've seen you with them, and your little cousin Rini, and your boyfriend Darrien. You always seem to be so happy together. I don't think they think so little of you. I hope you think everything through before you hurt your friendship." she said in a hopeful voice. Serena gave her a hurt smile.  
  
"I know, we've been through so much together, trying to get in the same high school, I don't want to end our friendship. But I need some time by myself to figure things out." Serena replied. She was somewhat surprised by how mature she sounded, perhaps she wasn't as hopeless as the others seemed to believe.  
  
"I hope it works out Serena. I need to get back to work!" the waitress said as she hurried away. Serena gave a quick sigh as she allowed the advice to sink in, maybe she was blowing everything out of proportion and was in danger of alienating the best friends she would ever have. She sat back in her seat and saw the woman with the books staring directly at her. Serena blinked in surprise. The woman was really staring at her and it was creepy. She didn't even realize Serena was looking back for several seconds. She blinked for the first time that Serena had seen and then her eyes grew wide and she covered her face with a book with English writing on it. Serena couldn't help but stare back in confusion.  
  
------  
  
Kura had never been so embarrassed in her life. First she was almost daydreaming about the blonde girl, then she was staring at her so hard she had been caught. She looked directly at the text on the page without reading a single word and then briefly at her watch, anything to avoid looking suspicious. She wondered if she was staring back but couldn't bring herself to peek out from behind her paperback shield. She hid behind the book for a few moments until she finally allowed herself to relax. What was that girl thinking about her? She seemed to be such an unworldly beautiful and kind person, what could she be thinking about the weird nineteen year old who was staring at her? She wondered what her and the waitress had talked about and marveled at the fact she didn't hear a single word. Her mind trailed off asking itself questions as she stared at words that lost all meaning. She heard the voice of the waitress as she returned with the blonde girl's order and she didn't recall so time passing so quickly. She looked at her watch and realized with shock that over fifteen minutes had passed since she shot a glace at the time in a near panic. She had completely forgotten about her studies because of the girl. She dared a brief peek over the top of her book and saw the girl happily shoveling food in her mouth, whatever mood she had been in seemed to have disappeared when the food arrived. Kura returned to her book and tried desperately to study. She found that she couldn't comprehend a single word. The girl's mysterious appeal combined with the recent urge to find friends was an overpowering force. If she couldn't get the girl out of head she might as well try to understand why. If she wanted a friend why not start with her?  
  
------  
  
Serena was cheerfully devouring the delicious food when the creepy book woman rose to her feet and collected her books and a backpack that had been lying beside her. She threw the pack over one shoulder, carried the books under her arm, and took three steps to beside the bench opposite of Serena. She then spoke to Serena in a language she couldn't understand. It sounded like the English they had been studying earlier, but she didn't understand it well enough to be sure. The woman caught her confused expression and turned red.  
  
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" she asked in perfect Japanese.  
  
"Uh, ok" Serena responded. Maybe the reason the woman was so strange was because she was an American, they were supposed to be really weird people.  
  
"I'm sorry about that, I was thinking in English and I forgot to go back to Japanese" she said as she sat down and placed her load of books on the table.  
  
"Oh, do you come from America?" Serena asked. The woman gave an embarrassed laugh and covered her mouth with her hand.  
  
"What a horrible way to make a first impression" she mumbled to herself, before remembering she had already made her first impression by staring at the girl. "I'm sorry, I just returned from the United States about a month ago."  
  
"Returned from America? So you are Japanese?" Serena asked as she continued to eat.  
  
"Yes, I am Japanese, I spent about a year in the US so I got used to talking in English." she responded. She was certain she had become some strange foreigner who stared at Japanese schoolgirls.   
  
"Oh wow! You lived in America for nearly a year?!" Serena said in surprise. The woman smiled warmly and she explained.  
  
"Oh yes, I went to the US to see how people lived in a different country. My father gave me some money and I stayed with some American business partners of his after I graduated from high school."  
  
"Really?! You graduated from high school and you've lived overseas! You must be rich!" Serena blurted out in excitement.  
  
"Well, I guess you could call me rich." Kura replied almost embarrassed. Serena put her food down for a moment and began to look at her books.  
  
"Are you a college student?" she asked as she looked at the titles she couldn't read.  
  
"Not yet, I took some time off in the US so I'm trying to get into college now. That's a book of American poetry that I've been studying" she said.  
  
"I'm Serena Tsukino" Serena introduced herself as put the book aside and picked up the only one that she could read. She looked in confusion at the book not sure how it fit in with American poetry. "What are you studying? Isn't Sun-tzu's "Art of War" a book about soldiers and fighting wars?" she asked. Kura seemed to be slightly confused by her question.  
  
"Oh, I'm not studying that book for class. The rest of the books are for my English studies course, and I'm reading that on my own." She was given another confused glance from Serena.  
  
"Why are you reading this if it's not for a class?!" she asked. The woman gave an embarrassed laugh and then extended her hand.  
  
"I haven't introduced myself yet" she said "My name is Kuragari Kiriyama. You can call me Kura if you like, but don't call me KK, I didn't like that name when I was little. I'm a nineteen year-old soon-to-be college student and war is my hobby." she finished with a smile.  
  
------  
  
Hey, a long chapter about the actual characters from the show! Wow! I think I'm getting the hang of this. I might not be able to meet my three chapters by the end of the month "deadline" but I will get in another before July 1st. I think I finally understanding fanfiction.net's formatting system and I'm going through the old chapters finding any mistakes I've made. I'm organizing the story arcs and may make everything so far written part 1 of the story (along with the other chapters until I reach what I consider "part 2") and I think "Bloody Moon, Part 1: New Moon" has a nice ring to it. I'm not sure if Kuragari is a regular Japanese name but it suits the character. The next chapter will be about the other Sailor Senshi and then I'll return to Uranus/Neptune, the one after that will probably be another Feudal-era Hikari chapter or maybe a modern   
  
Hikari chapter, but almost certainly a Hikari chapter :) Thanks again for all the support and criticism!  
  
Update: 2/25/04 - Gonna make a few revisions to the storyline, including a character name change. 


	9. Confusion

Chapter 9: Confusion  
  
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Amy was ahead of the other girls as they walked away from the temple in silence. The last couple of days had certainly been strange and she was positive it was only going to get stranger. The annoying thing was that all the stress they had gone through was because of Serena's stupid mistake. Completely forgetting that Rei had told her something and then panicking everyone else thinking she had been kidnapped or something was a new low for Serena. As she thought more about the whole ordeal it seemed almost too low for Serena. She was a ditz, she was clumsy, she didn't pay attention when studying, she was lazy, gluttonous, and childish, but Amy didn't think she would forget something so important. She thought about bringing it up to the others but she didn't want to break the silence. A lot had happened in three days and even more had happened in ten minutes. Amy was positive that everyone needed some time to think about it for themselves.   
  
"Alright, who thinks what just happened stinks?" suddenly said Lita. Amy wasn't surprised by the outburst, she figured if any one was going to try and discuss the matter it would have been her.  
  
"I don't know what to think Lita" said Mina.  
  
"Quite a lot has happened" Luna started thoughtfully "we should probably discuss this after we've had some time to think about it."  
  
"What's there to think about! Rei shouldn't treat Serena that way!"  
  
"Lita, for the last three days-" Artemis started from his perch on Mina's shoulder.  
  
"Who cares about what happened! Nothing happened to Rei, so what's the big deal?"  
  
"The big deal Lita, is that Serena's irresponsible behavior has created an enormous mess!"   
  
"But that doesn't give Rei the right to throw her around like that!" Lita shouted at them, "She's our friend, she's her friend, and she's our leader!"  
  
"Yes, Lita, Serena is our leader." Amy finally spoke up, "And shouldn't she be more responsible then to forget something that's so important?" Everyone had stopped and Lita opened her mouth to say something but stopped. They all slowly started walking again. They continued their walk towards the more populated area of the city for a few moments in silence.  
  
"Look, even if she did make that mistake there was no reason for Rei to blow up at her like that." said Lita.  
  
"Maybe not Lita, but this isn't the kind of thing we can just ignore." replied Luna, "We expect Serena to forget about appointments-"  
  
"Or doing her work" Mina added.  
  
"Making a pig of herself" Artemis added with a sigh.  
  
"And crying if she get angry at her" Amy threw in.  
  
"I know she has some problems! You don't need to keep bashing her!" Lita said angrily.  
  
"I'm not bashing her Lita, but you know every well what we all have to deal with regularly." Mina responded.  
  
"What do you mean "deal" with? Is she too inconvenient of a friend for you? What about the stupid things you put us through?"  
  
"Lita, Mina, we really don't-" began Artemis.  
  
"What stupid things did I ever put you through?" Mina shouted after coming to a stop.  
  
"Rei was acting extremely strangely" Amy said silencing the fight between Lita and Mina. They both just looked at her having said what everyone had been thinking.  
  
"Yes" Luna responded quietly "I've never seen her that angry before."  
  
"Yes, but Serena's never screwed up that bad before in the past either." Artemis replied.  
  
"That's what I've been trying to say!" said Lita with frustration in her voice.  
  
"Did you see the look in Rei's eyes?" asked Mina in a quiet voice as she thought over the situation again "I've never seen such, such-"  
  
"Hatred?" asked Lita knowing the answer herself.  
  
"What could have been so important to Rei that she would have suddenly left without telling anyone?" asked Amy. She didn't get a response from any of the others for a long moment.  
  
"I don't know." said Mina "Do you have any idea Artemis?" she asked. Artemis hopped down onto the pavement beside Luna. The two cats looked at the confused girls but neither had an answer for them.  
  
"It's all very strange" said Luna. "I wonder if-" she said trailing off.  
  
"You wonder what?" demanded Lita. Amy knew exactly what she was thinking of.  
  
"You think we might have a new enemy." she said knowing that it had to be brought out.  
  
"Oh no" Mina groaned.  
  
"Already?!" shouted Lita "We just defeated the Death Busters! Don't we deserve a break once in a while?"  
  
"Keep it down Lita, somebody could hear you when you shout like that!" cried Artemis.  
  
"It makes sense" Mina said "It makes perfect sense! Rei must have felt some new enemy approaching so she left to see if her feelings were right! I guess she must have told Serena late at night because I still don't know how she could forget something like that."  
  
"She probably didn't say anything so we wouldn't get worked up about it" Luna stated.  
  
"So, if Rei knows that there is a new threat, what should we do about it?" asked Artemis. "Should we go back right now and ask her?"  
  
"No" Amy said shaking her head "She'll tell us when she's ready. None of us understands how her powers really work, and she has been a bit moodier than normal recently."  
  
"She's probably having nightmares again." said Luna.  
  
"So, the way she treated Serena was just because she's stressed and worried? Not just because Serena forgot?" Lita asked.  
  
"Let's just leave Rei alone until she wants to talk with us." explained Amy "And when she does, don't ask about what happened with Serena. If we have a new enemy then we have more to worry about then some stupid mistake of hers."   
  
"That's a good idea Amy" said a pleased Luna. The other girls nodded in agreement.  
  
"I hope you're wrong about a new enemy." said Lita.  
  
"So do I, we may never get our lives back on track if this keeps up" said Mina.  
  
"Nobody ever said being Sailor Senshi would be easy" Artemis said.  
  
"Yeah, but nobody ever said being anything about having to be Sailor Senshi and get into high school at the same time!" said Mina. "And I haven't even mentioned spending time with friends, shopping-"  
  
"And getting boyfriends!" Lita added followed by a sigh from the cats and Amy.  
  
"I think we need to have two sets of Sailor Senshi, one that studies and the other that fights evil. There might be fewer complaints that way." Luna said bemused. The everyday worries of the girls had to be put on hold when they had to fulfill their duties and they should understand that. At least their spirits had been lifted by the new direction the discussion had taken.  
  
"Hey, what about Amara and Michelle?" asked Mina suddenly.  
  
"Do you think they'll come back?" Lita asked.  
  
"I'm not sure" said Amy "How about we worry about this later after we've discussed this with Rei. We really need to do something to ease our minds."  
  
"Let's go see a movie!" said Mina.  
  
"Let's get something to eat and go boy watching!" Lita said and again the two cats groaned.  
  
"No, we should go an study." Amy said and this time the groan came from the other two girls.  
  
------  
  
Amy returned home a few hours later. They had gone to the restaurant where they normally met and had something to eat and then went to Lita's apartment to study. As they approached the restaurant she thought she saw Serena across the street talking to an older girl. She was certain she had mistaken some short long-haired blonde girl for Serena because there was no way she'd be befriending college students. They made the usual small talk at the table and Lita started drooling over some guy she saw at the restaurant with her usual comment about his resemblance to an old boyfriend. She had gone to talk with him and actually left the restaurant with him, meeting them later to study. The session had gone decently because despite their protests Mina and Lita threw themselves into their work to get their minds off the possibility of a new threat. The only distraction was some initial conversation about the guy Lita had gone on a spontaneous date with. But both seemed to understand they might have the luxury of studying for much longer and it proved to be a suitable distraction from the confusing turn life had taken. After a few hours Amy had gone home and arrived shortly before sunset. She no sooner walked in the door then the phone rang.  
  
"I'll get it." she said as she walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver answering it with "Mizuno residence."  
  
"Amy?" came the voice over the phone, slightly shocking Amy.  
  
"Rei! How are you?" she asked in an attempt to be friendly and avoid the subject of Serena and her absence.  
  
"Amy, are you still swimming?" Rei asked. Amy was surprised by the question, it was the last thing she could imagine  
  
Rei calling her about with everything going on.  
  
"Uh, yes I am Rei."  
  
"Were you planning on going tonight?"  
  
"I was thinking about going after I ate dinner." Amy lied anticipating what Rei was planning.  
  
"Mind if I join you? I'm sorry about everything that's going on and I-" Rei said anxiously.  
  
"It's ok Rei, you don't need to apologize."  
  
"Amy, I just want to try and calm down or collect my thoughts or something. I tried it alone and it didn't seem to work, and I called you because-" she trailed off before finishing "I called you because I can trust you not to demand answers I don't want to deal with right now."  
  
"I understand Rei. We'll just swim, it's very relaxing and fun."  
  
"Ok, Amy. Should we meet there around 10:30?" Rei asked. Amy was surprised by how late Rei wanted to go but remembered that she was most likely trying to avoid anyone else being there.  
  
"That will fine Rei."  
  
"Ok, thanks Amy. One more thing: come alone." Rei said before hanging up the phone. Amy knew that Rei didn't want any of the other girls around before she had even asked. Her abrupt end to the call was surprising but Amy knew now that something was wrong. She would meet with Rei and she'd hope that Rei would bring up the matter herself without having to be asked any questions. She thought about calling the others and telling them she was going to meet Rei but she knew they'd only try to come along. She would simply go alone like her friend asked.  
  
------  
  
I certainly did NOT have a new chapter up before July 1st. I came down with total writer's block and a case of serious distractions. The problem comes from having a general idea about what's going to happen in the chapter and no clue of how to make it happen. The next few chapters are actually decently thought out so the next update shouldn't take so long. 


	10. Fragile Future

Chapter 10: Fragile Future  
  
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The future Princess of the Silver Millennium wasn't certain is she was awake or asleep. Rini thought she was in her room but everything seemed to be ghost-like. She felt almost weightless as she climbed off her bed and stood on the floor. Since she was on the bed she probably was dreaming, but she knew strange things could happen. For all she knew some monster would jump out at her from behind the closet door.  
  
"Serena?! Are you there?" she shouted. Her voice seemed to echo through out the room and she knew that was unusual. She was starting to get scared. Something was definitely wrong and she didn't know what. But if something did attack her she could defend herself with her powers as Sailor Chibi-Moon, assuming her Pink Heart Attack worked properly. The door to her room began to slowly open and she braced herself for what might be coming for her.  
  
"You have nothing to fear" came a familiar voice she didn't expect to hear. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the woman standing beyond the open door, the woman who served as a guardian and friend for a long time.  
  
"Pluto!" Rini cried as she ran into her arms. Sailor Pluto smiled as she held her friend again unsure of how she could deliver the message she was sent to bring.  
  
"What are you doing here Pluto? And where is your Garnet Rod?" asked Rini as she let go and sat down on her bed "Why is everything so weird?.  
  
"Unfortunately, this is only a dream, therefore I do not need my Garnet Rod. You fell asleep after lunch so I could deliver a message to you." Pluto said with remorse in her voice.  
  
"Oh no, what's wrong Pluto?" Rini asked with noticeable fear. Pluto took a breath and then responded.  
  
"You must return to the future."  
  
"But why? What's wrong?"  
  
"There is a grave threat to you Small Lady. You must return for your own protection." she said gravely. Rini jumped to her feet.  
  
"What's going on? Can't you tell me what's such a big danger?" she pleaded. Pluto sat down on the bed.  
  
"There is an enemy that threatens the Sailor Senshi. She comes from some forgotten past and is incredibly dangerous.   
  
We do not know where she comes from or what she is capable of." Pluto said gravely. Rini looked at her wide eyed not sure how to act.  
  
"But, isn't that like all the enemies we fight?" Rini asked the ageless Sailor Senshi. Pluto shook her head.  
  
"To some extent Rini, I am aware of all the enemies we must fight. I am the guardian of time and exist in the past, future, and present. But this enemy took me by surprise, and even Queen Serenity in the future doesn't know who or what she is." Pluto paused as she looked up at the ceiling "It's almost like she didn't exist in the time stream until just now. As if she came out of thin air to interrupt the course of destiny."  
  
"But what does that mean? Did you know the Sailor Senshi would defeat the Death Busters and everyone else?  
  
"The future is not certain Small Lady. The outcome of their victories would be the kingdom of the Silver Millennium, but they would have to defeat their enemies. I know what would happen if they won, and I know what could happen if they lost." Pluto shuddered slightly at the mention of the world in which the Sailor Senshi lost. For the first time Rini really wondered about the consequences of being the guardian of time really were. Why had she been given such a responsibility?  
  
"Pluto, do you see what will happen if they win against this enemy?" Rini asked. Again Pluto shook her head.  
  
"I can't see the future, whether or they win or if they lose, it's completely gray to me. I'm frightened Small Lady." Rini could only stare in shock. She didn't know that Pluto could be frightened. They sat in the strange dream world in silence. Rini finally gained the strength to speak.  
  
"Why do I have to return to the future? If it's in such danger shouldn't I be here to help?" she asked.  
  
"I was punished for using the power of the Time Stop to aid Neptune and Uranus." Pluto began as confused Rini couldn't understand how it answer her question. "That power was forbidden to me, but I used it to save their lives before the final battle. I can return to help the Sailor Senshi but only on the condition that you return to the future." Rini shook her head furiously.  
  
"No, they need me-" Rini started before Pluto took her by the arms, she could see the fear in the woman's eyes.  
  
"Small Lady, they need my assistance more, you must return so that I can aid them. You need to understand how serious this is; I've been told not only to use my full powers but to also reactivate Sailor Saturn." Rini's eyes lit up at the mention of the Sailor of Destruction.  
  
"Hotaru?! Please, Pluto! I need to be here." pleaded Rini, she couldn't be sent to the future when both Pluto and Hotaru would be with her.  
  
"Princess!" Pluto shouted taking Rini by total surprise. Rini saw tears run down Pluto's cheeks, she couldn't believe Pluto could actually be crying.  
  
"We don't understand the threat we face Small Lady, this has never happened before, the future has never been in as much danger as now. Do you understand the signifigence of myself and Saturn being involved?" Rini shook her head and Pluto continued. "To save the future we will the risk of destroying both time and the world in the process. The two of us could be a larger threat than the enemy. Your mother wants you to be with her if this is the end of everything." Rini burst into tears and Pluto held her.  
  
"S-S-Sailor M-M-Moon" stuttered Rini between tears "We n-n-n-need to w-w-warn-"  
  
"I will warn her when I can Small Lady, I cannot communicate her right now." She didn't tell Rini that she couldn't warn her or the other Sailor Senshi until she could return to the world. She couldn't tell Rini that Sailor Mars had disappeared from the future or that the Sailor Senshi seemed to be breaking themselves up.  
  
"Will you return to the future?" Pluto asked. Rini held her tightly and cried as she nodded.  
  
------  
  
A short chapter that sets up the coming of Sailors Pluto and Saturn! Yay! A bit short but a lot happens in the next chapter that should be up shortly. 


	11. The Bond of Sisters

Chapter 11: The Bond of Sisters  
  
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Nearly two months had passed from the night that Miyo slashed her palm for Hikari. A still bed-ridden Hikari stared at the ceiling unable to sleep. She was trying to determine how much time she had spent staring at the ceiling since the night at the temple. Miyo had abandoned trying to feed Hikari since that night but Kimiko still made regular attempts. The soups had made her sick until that night but ever since she found herself being able to keep them down, even enjoy them in the last few days, but they didn't satisfy the hunger within her. The best the food could do for her was present the appearance that she was getting better and she could keep her mother and others from knowing something was horribly wrong. They could never know that Miyo had been secretly feeding Hikari her blood twice a week. She would enter Hikari's room at night armed with the knife and she would kneel by her sister, exchange some uncomfortable small talk, and then give herself a shallow cut and allow Hikari to drink from it. Her palm had scarred from the first two weeks when she kept reopening the wound, Kimiko believing that Miyo had cut herself cooking when the blade slipped and slid across her palm, and since then she had been more careful not to scar herself again and conceal what she was doing. Her yukata sleeves hid nearly a dozen small cuts all of which were healing and disappearing as she created more. Hikari couldn't imagine herself in Miyo's situation no matter how hard she tried and she loved her brave little sister more than she ever had in the past. Hikari knew she would have died if Miyo hadn't taken an unthinkable responsibility on herself.   
  
The blood nourished her for some reason she couldn't begin to comprehend and she had grown slightly stronger. She could get up and walk around their home if she wanted to but she weakened easily and spent most of her in bed. She began to understand more as time passed and her appetite constantly growled at her. She could regain her strength and fully satisfy herself if she could get more blood, she wasn't starving to death but she knew she was weak from a lack of nutrition. But she saw what had happened to Miyo in the first two weeks. Miyo had been giving her blood almost every night and Hikari could see how her skin started to grow pale and how tired and weak she became. Every feeding made Miyo weaker while Hikari would grow stronger herself. Kimiko had panicked believing whatever sickness Hikari suffered from had been given to Miyo as well even as Hikari had seemingly started to recover. That night Hikari had talked to Miyo and assured her sister that they had to be more cautious and cut back on her feeding, Miyo had argued but Hikari managed to convince her that twice a week would be sufficient. In the time since Hikari had grown weaker again but she would face it if it would protect Miyo. They relied on each other and both were making dangerous sacrifices for the other, Hikari could almost feel the bond between them as if it were a silk rope attaching them to each other. Hikari's affliction isolated her from every one else in the village, and for all she knew everyone in the world, but with Miyo at her side she wasn't alone. She was Hikari's only friend, a fact made only worse when Hikari had learned what had happened that night.  
  
------  
  
It was in the brief period when Hikari had been at her strongest before her discussion with Miyo. She had been walking around the house helping out with small chores and Hikari felt almost perfect at times. She still rested frequently and it had been during one such break when her mother had entered with the young farmer Shaburo. His face was slightly fluster as he was led into the room and Hikari knew like everyone else that he had feelings for her. It was perhaps best that he had never attempted to express his love as Hikari became hateful toward him the day she understood his feelings for her. She knew that a relationship with a poor, dirty farmer like Shaburo would only damn her forever to the peasant's life. Had he made any advance toward her she was prepared to shatter his heart in retaliation, she wouldn't allow him to destroy her dreams of escape. If that had happened she might have died on the mountain, though she was starting to think that it might have been a blessing. Regardless, Hikari felt some gratitude for his rescue and she thought it was amusing hearing stories from Miyo of his many attempts to visit her being thwarted by her sister and mother.  
  
"H-Hello Hikari" he stammered uncomfortably.  
  
"Hello Shaburo." she politely answered.  
  
"Are you feeling well?" her mother asked.  
  
"I'm doing alright mother." Hikari answered feeling another blood-thirsty growl from her stomach.  
  
"I'll bring you something to eat if you're hungry Hikari" an obvious Kimiko said.  
  
"Oh, I'll be fine. My stomach's just upset, I really couldn't eat anymore" Hikari lied. Both Kimiko and Shaburo sat down beside her.  
  
"Are you ready to hear what had happened at the temple?" her mother asked gravely. Hikari had wondered when she would learn what had happened. She didn't remember anything of that night or even leaving the village, her mind went blank as she remembered leaving the field to find Kimiko. Kimiko hadn't explained what had happened, Miyo hadn't been willing to bring it up even during their late night activities, and Hikari herself almost didn't want to know. She assumed that she had little choice in the matter now.  
  
"Hikari, have you remembered anything about that night?" asked Kimiko. Hikari only shook her head in silence.  
  
"I guess we don't know much about what exactly happened." Shaburo offered with a strange tone of humor in his voice. He caught a gaze from Hikari that told him she didn't appreciate his tone.  
  
"What was the last thing you do remember?" asked her mother.  
  
"I remember asking you if I could walk to the temple. But after that, it's-" Hikari paused struggling to explain "I know that something happened, but it's all gray. I don't really know how to explain it."  
  
"Hikari, I will explain what we know. Apparently some people have been looking for a girl having nightmares and they kept demanding answers from Lady Arisa." Kimiko started while a frightened Hikari listened on "Many of her followers fled from the temple fearing for their lives. The night you went to the temple was the night they attacked."  
  
"Who are they? Does that mean they know who they're looking for?" Hikari said in near panic.  
  
"It's alright" Shaburo said in a reassuring voice "I'm positive they aren't looking for you. You've been in the village for over a month, if they were knew you were who they were looking for-" he trailed off not wanting to say out loud that someone would have come for Hikari by now. Both Kimiko and Hikari knew what he had left unsaid.  
  
"Mother, what happened at the temple? What happened to Lady Arisa?"  
  
"They killed all of Lady Arisa's followers" Shaburo answered for Kimiko, "But, we don't know-"  
  
"We never found Lady Arisa" Kimiko said somberly. Hikari was devastated. If they had killed everyone at the temple why would they have left Arisa alive? Arisa was Hikari's only real friend aside from her sister. Did Arisa die because of her? Had that beautiful and caring priestess been killed for the crime of being Hikari's friend?  
  
"No, Arisa" Hikari moaned as she started to cry "They couldn't have killed her."  
  
"She might be alive Hikari, they could have kidnapped her hoping to get some information" Shaburo said as he took her hand in his. Neither Hikari or Kimiko seemed to mind his forwardness, though he felt like he was taking advantage of her.  
  
"One of Arisa's followers escaped to the village, but he died from his injuries. I led some of the villages to the temple to rescue you and anybody else." He said with an almost boastful tone in his voice. You were the only one we found alive."  
  
Hikari cried as her mother held her as Shaburo took her hand gently in an attempt to comfort her. Eventually, they left her alone with her grief. In time she stopped crying as she stared once more at the ceiling she had grown to hate.  
  
------  
  
Over two and a half months after her attack Hikari awoke in the middle of the night. Her hunger had become an incredibly deep throbbing in her body, so powerful and desperate but strangely quiet and subdued at the same time. She sat up in her bed then slowly rose to her feet. She didn't know why she felt such hunger and the last months of her life seemed to be completely foggy haze of memories. She could vaguely remember being ill for some reason and not being able to keep her food down. She stumbled out her door and into Kimiko's room, she looked at her mother sleeping peacefully then sat down beside her silently. She didn't move but admired her mother's beauty in the darkness somehow able to see extremely well despite the near complete lack of light. Kimiko had the looks of a twenty year old, not of the mother of a twenty year old. Hikari didn't understand it. She turned her attention from her mother's face towards her neck. She saw the pulse steadily beating and her appetite grew as she watched it in the darkness. She knelt on her knees and leaned over Kimiko, her mother was a deep sleeper and didn't notice when Hikari put her lips on her throat. She felt the blood, hot and beckoning under her lips, the elongated fangs in her mouth, she felt the growing need to feed herself, an animal urge rising in her that she couldn't begin to understand. Her left hand slid under Kimiko's head and tilted it back baring her neck for Hikari. Hikari felt the warm life within calling to her desperate unfed body. With a low growl her fangs slid into Kimiko's soft neck and Hikari tore open her mother's jugular vein.   
  
Hot blood erupted from Kimiko and into Hikari's waiting mouth where she noisily sucked it up as quickly as possible. She hadn't expected so much blood so quickly and it escaped from her and splattered on the floor in torrents. Kimiko never made a sound above a low murmur and twitched slightly as her heart pumped her life into her daughter's greedy mouth. Hikari tightened her grip on Kimiko and cradled the dying woman in her arms as she fed. Hikari felt the hot blood on her lips and splattered over her face, the taste of it was intoxicating beyond anything she had ever drank before. She couldn't drink it as quickly as it sprayed out of Kimiko who was now drenched in her own blood. Kimiko's convulsions became more violent and began to slow as the blood ceased to pour from her body. Hikari frantically tore deeper into what remained of Kimiko's throat to find more. Finally the soft heartbeat of her mother ceased and Hikari was licking what she could find off Kimiko's corpse trying to continue her feeding frenzy. She felt stronger than she had in months, perhaps even stronger than she ever had in her life, and she could hear the almost silent sounds of bare feet sneaking across wood flooring from the next room before the door slid open and Miyo wandered in. The girl only had time to acknowledge the unexpected surprise of finding Hikari out of bed before Hikari pounced on her hissing like a serpent. The knife she had been carrying to feed Hikari clattered on the floor as the girl landed on her back with her sister straddling and pinning her in place. She tried to speak but could only stare the dark figure on top of her and muttered in fear and shock. With her finger digging into the young girl's arms Hikari could feel Miyo's quickening pulse, the fear of the girl had an effect on Hikari similar to adrenaline. She could vividly see and feel the coming moments when she would rip out Miyo's throat and gorge on the terrified girl's blood. She would savor the girl flailing and screaming as Hikari fed off her youthful vitality, stealing it for herself leaving only an dead girl staring at the ceiling with hollow eyes-  
  
-And suddenly the realistic hallucination broke as Hikari's frenzy ended. All she could feel was the scared breathing of Miyo beneath her and her hunger subdued at last. The girl whispered her name quietly as Hikari stared in horror at the terror on her face and she saw a drop of blood splatter on her face. She felt cold and numb as she understand her situation clearly; she had torn her mother's throat open to feed on her blood and had pinned Miyo to the ground intending to kill her, tearing her apart with their mother's blood on her lips. She recoiled in horror and rolled off Miyo and way from her, the girl crawled away in terror, never turning her back on Hikari. Miyo couldn't see her sister's face but Hikari could see the fear and understanding on her face.  
  
"H-h-hikari...please...not mommy" Miyo whimpered like a small child. "You didn't...you couldn't-"  
  
"She's dead" Hikari said suddenly to herself, "I-I killed my m-m-mother."  
  
"No! Please Hik-"  
  
"I killed her! I d-drank her blood and k-killed her!" Hikari scrambled away from Miyo, both girls crying in the darkness. "I'm a monster" Hikari said quietly as she stared at the floor numb with shock, "I don't know why, but I've become a monster."  
  
She looked up at her sobbing little sister and said with dread, "I almost killed you too Miyo."  
  
Hikari scrambled to her feet awkwardly, she couldn't stay after what had happened, she had to escape before anyone found out what she had done. She stumbled past the crying Miyo towards the door, she heard a sudden gasp of alarm and felt arms wrap around her ankles and she fell on her face.  
  
"No!" Miyo cried out as she held onto Hikari's legs.   
  
"Miyo! Let me go! I can't stay here!"  
  
"No! You're not leaving!"  
  
Hikari reached out for Miyo and the two girls wrestled against each other, Hikari trying to escape, Miyo trying to hold her grip, both sobbing and almost shrieking at each other. Hikari found her previous situation reversed as Miyo rolled on top of her though she lacked the strength or weight to keep Hikari down.  
  
"I lost daddy! I lost mommy! I'm not losing you!" Miyo wailed "You can't leave me alone Hikari! You can't leave me!"  
  
"I butchered our mother! I'm some type of demon! I-"  
  
"I don't care! We're sisters Hikari. I love you, but you can't leave me!" the girl leaned over and cried into   
  
Hikari's breasts. Hikari remained silent listening to Miyo cry and repeat herself.  
  
"You can't leave me Hikari."  
  
"I-I...Miyo-"  
  
"Please Hikari...I need you...you need me-" she sobbed quietly. The girl's grip on Hikari's arms loosened and Hikari held Miyo as she cried. After an unspeakable act Miyo still wouldn't give up on her. All they had now was each other. Hikari held her sister and tried to hush her quietly.  
  
"I won't leave you Miyo, you're my little sister and all I have left-"  
  
------  
  
Less than an hour later Hikari and Miyo left their home and slipped out of Kagoshima. They had small packs stocked with food, bedding, other essentials they would need, and some cherished heirlooms like Hikari's mirror. They had dressed in warm yukatas, straw hats, and sturdy sandals for their long travels ahead. Miyo brought her kitchen knife being the only passable weapon they had against a world filled with bandits, wild animals, and ronin samurai. Hikari had a feeling she would have no need for a weapon herself. They left the village in silence and hiked throughout the night, their disappearance and Kimiko's death weren't noticed until nearly noon. The village went into a panicked uproar fearing what had happened to the temple would happen to them. Over the next few days many villagers would flee none of the remaining villages noticed Shaburo's disappearance until they discovered he had left with his ill father's blessing. Everyone in Kagoshima knew he had gone in search of Hikari and Miyo, none expected to ever see him again.  
  
Hikari and Miyo hiked through the night and late into the morning, finally stopping for rest shortly after noon. Hikari sat on a rock watching Miyo uncomfortable doze in the shade, the sunlight bothering her for reason she couldn't understand. She was frightened, confused, and perversely excited. After years of monotonous farm work something new was happening, but she didn't want to think of what it had cost them now, or what they pay in the future. She didn't know what they would do or how they would get by. They would live or die together as sisters. 


	12. Mercury's Final Mistake

Chapter 12: Mercury's Final Mistake  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
Amy had been waiting for Rei for over half an hour and she still hadn't shown up. It was frustrating and almost frightening since Amy was now wondering if something had happened to her. With the hell they had gone through recently she wasn't certain if she was becoming paranoid or if Rei was really in trouble. She sat on the edge of the pool facing the door with her legs in the water. After she had been attacked by Death Busters at the pool she had been taking precautions not to be in the same situation ever again. It was rather unnecessary since they had been defeated and since nothing would be attacking her, perhaps she was developing paranoia after all. She was so enthralled in thought she barely noticed Rei entering the cavernous room with a beach bag and a towel over her shoulder.  
  
"Hi Amy." Rei said with no emotion in her voice. It seemed to be a completely neutral greeting as if she was politely addressing a complete strange who asked for directions. She was wearing a simple one piece swimsuit in a dark shade of red, it seemed as almost monotone and dry as Rei was behaving. Alarms were sounding in Amy's head warning her that something was wrong.  
  
"Hi Rei."  
  
"Sorry I'm late." Rei said with no sign of explaining anything. She dropped her bag and towel onto a nearby beach chair and silently walked around the pool and entered the water. Amy's quick thinking caught something other people would likely miss; Rei had entered the water completely regardless to the temperature. The pool was heated but like any pool it was cooler than the surrounding area and Rei hadn't given any sign that she noticed it.  
  
"It's nice in here." Rei said with a faint smile. Amy forced herself to smile back. She needed to relax before she drove herself crazy thinking something was wrong with Rei. Her friend had something on her mind, most likely the dire news of a new threat to the world, and she was afraid of bringing it up with her friends. Though Rei's attack on Serena was still frighteningly uncharacteristic of her.  
  
"Are you going to get in the pool or just look at it?" Rei asked with slight irritation in her tone.  
  
"Oh, sorry, I just thinking about something." Amy said and slid into the water. Her legs were used to the temperature but the rest of her body shivered slightly as she submersed herself. She swam over to Rei's side as she leaned against the edge of the pool.  
  
"Amy, I had something I wanted to ask you." Rei said from beside Amy as she surfaced. Amy shook off her wet hair and turned to face Rei. The expression on Rei's face troubled Amy again. Rei looked like she was afraid of talking about something but determined to do so for some unknown reason. Amy was afraid to find out what Rei had on her mind.  
  
  
  
"What's on your mind?" she asked dreading what would come next.  
  
"Let's say something did happen to me" Rei started, "Say I disappeared and then something happened to you-"  
  
"Why Rei? Why do you w-"  
  
"Amy, you're the smartest one in the group and since everyone thought I had-"  
  
"No, Rei. I wasn't asking why you chose the two of us, I'm asking why you're even thinking about this."   
  
"There isn't a real reason, I just started thinking about it after what happened today." Rei said sounding almost annoyed that Amy would argue the reasoning with her, "Will you just listen?"  
  
Amy sighed in defeat, Rei was starting to scare her and she felt it would only get worse. But she still had to find out what was going on, even if she had to humor Rei's newfound morbid request.  
  
"I'm sorry Rei, please go on."  
  
"If I got kidnapped or eaten by a monster and you slipped in the bathtub or got hit by a truck; who would Serena be better off with, Mina or Lita?" Rei finished. Amy was completely baffled by her question and couldn't understand why she would ask such a thing. She was completely stunned by such Rei's thinking and couldn't come up with a proper response.  
  
"I-"  
  
"Wait, try this: Who would be worse to lose, Mina or Lita?  
  
"Why Rei?!"  
  
"I'm trying to understand our weaknesses, understand who's more valuable for the team."  
  
"Rei, that's not fair, both Lita and Mina are invaluable! We need both of them, just as much as we need us and Serena!  
  
"Amy, I'm only trying to figure out what would happen if Serena had to cope without us-"  
  
"She's done alright on her own, without any of us, in the past. We wouldn't be here if-"  
  
"Amy! Has anything really happened to us?! I'm just asking what you thought! All I want is an answer, then I'll explain what's going on to you." Rei said again taking Amy by surprise. So there was some new problem that Rei hadn't shared with them. Amy responded by diving into the water and launching herself to the other side of the pool opposite Rei. She came up from below the surface and leaned over the side of the pool, her back to Rei as she quickly thought on the matter.  
  
"Ok. If something happened to both of us...I hate to say it, but Serena would be worse off losing Mina than Lita."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Rei, I said it's not fair and I don't like talking behind her back...Lita's strong, brave, and loyal, but she's not the brightest member of the team and she acts on impulse. If the two of them were alone they'd blindly charge into a fight-"  
  
"So Mina-"  
  
"Mina is probably more important than me. She's brave and strong, but also very clever, especially in a battle. She could keep Serena out of trouble and together they would stand a pretty good chance of saving the rest of us." Amy finished, hoping Rei was satisfied with her response and would let the matter drop.  
  
"Alright then. Thank you Amy, that was very helpful. Let me explain what's going on." Rei said from behind Amy.  
  
Amy turned around then cried out in shock and alarm. Rei was gone, and a silver haired woman in Rei's swimsuit was looking at her with hungry amber eyes. She turned and quickly reached out to pull herself out of the pool when she suddenly felt a cold body pressed against hers and powerful legs wrapping around her waist and a hand reach under her and hold her chin tightly.  
  
"What's wrong Amy? I was only going to explain the situation, and actions speak louder than words-" Hikari said in Rei Hino's voice. Amy tried to escape from the pool but the woman's weight prevented her from escaping, but somehow they remained buoyant as if the woman could make them float together on the water.  
  
"Let me go!" Amy screamed as she squirmed in Hikari's unnatural and powerful embrace. Hikari said nothing as she dropped her hand from Amy's chin and wrapped it tightly across her chest. With her free hand she clutched a handful of blue hair, and Amy screamed again as Hikari yanked her head to the side and bit into her throat. Amy's blood wasn't was blissfully sweet as Rei's had been, but the youth of the girl made it a delicacy Hikari meant to enjoy. The water provided an interesting medium that amplified the girl's thrashing, every frantic movement Amy made rippled throughout the pool delightfully surprising Hikari. Over all the centuries Hikari had been a vampire she had never experienced such a unique meal. Amy was starting to lose the feeling in her body and she could feel her life being drained from her. Even near death she remained aware and thinking, she never would have thought that vampires existed, let alone that one was killing her after disguising itself as one of her friends. Amy realized that they had been wrong about Serena, that the Rei-vampire had set them up, framing Serena to divide the Sailor Senshi, and then lured her alone into a trap. Amy had made her last mistake and had certainly placed Mina in immediate danger as the next victim. Then Amy simply ceased to rationalize as she felt herself sliding backwards into the water as Hikari absent-mindedly released her concentration. She still reached out trying to pull her self out even as she submerged underwater. The last thing she could see was her outstretched hand sliding into the water in red haze of her blood as her life flowed out of her. Hikari was annoyed that she last her focus on remaining buoyant, their sudden decent into the pool was distracting but she focused on draining Amy's blood. The underwater experience was unpleasant compared to what it had been previous, but the girl continued to pump blood into her mouth all the same. In the end, Amy died from Hikari's feeding before she could drown, and Hikari floated to the surface with the dead girl in her arms.   
  
She concentrated briefly on her preservation technique and kissed Amy's cold lips allowing a tiny amount of her blood to return to her. Rei would have company tonight, and soon Mina would join them. It had been easy enough to cover the disappearance of one girl, but now that she had killed two of the Sailor Senshi she would have to act quickly. She didn't have the luxury of time on her side anymore, Hikari would take Mina the following night quickly. She would gorge herself on blood, an uncomfortable feeling she loathed and it increased the chances of making a mistake that would prevent her raising the girl. Lita would be a simple conquest, Hikari anticipated Amy's response and the stupid girl was already falling under her control. She could wait a day or two before taking the last Sailor. Then only the hated Princess would be left, Serena, Serenity, Sailor Moon. Hikari would at last have her revenge. She could hardly wait to see her enemy on her knees, crying over her lost friends before Hikari unleashed them on her. They would flay Serenity alive and feast on her, Hikari would then rip her throat out and bathe in her lifeblood before sending Serenity to whatever hell awaited her. 


	13. Neptune and Aries

Chapter 13: Neptune and Aries  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
Michelle finally started to regain consciousness after nearly twelve hours. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at the ceiling and apparently lying on a bed. She sat up feeling dizzy and confused, all she could remember was being in some old hotel with Amara, then somebody attacking her, and now she was here. She looked around the room and realized she was in what appeared to be a hotel bedroom. The bed was large and had a nightstand beside it with a lamp on top, a dresser had a TV mounted on it, a bathroom off in the back. She was completely alone in the room, if her enemies had no interest in guarding her she would gladly escape. She slid off the bed and walked to the door. She reached out for the doorknob fearing it would be locked somehow, it turned in her hand the door opened into hallway that she followed into a larger room that appeared to be a hotel suite. She walked into the large main suite, not overly lavish aside from being a large suite along the lines of a low-grade penthouse. She didn't notice the young man with blue hair before he waved from behind a chair and greeted her.  
  
"Good morning, it seems that you're finally awake." he said in a friendly manner that didn't suit a kidnapper. She could only stare at him in confused disbelief of the situation.  
  
"If you're hungry I could make you some breakfast." he said further confusing Michelle. Why would somebody kidnap her with a sword to her throat, knock her out with something, then offer to make her breakfast?  
  
"Look, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday at that old dump. We're not going to hurt you, we just needed to find out if you were the enemy. Which, by the way, you are not."  
  
"I could have told you that." Michelle said firmly.  
  
"Perhaps, but that wouldn't mean you were telling the truth." he said as he rose from his chair and turned to face Michelle. He was a handsome young man dressed in casual pants and a button down shirt. He smiled as he saw her.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked him.  
  
"Shall I explain over breakfast?" he said "You must be hungry." Michelle found that she was.  
  
------  
  
He had warned her against escaping and she had obeyed for the time. He kept his eye on her while he made breakfast, watching to see if she would try to escape or attack him. She planned on escaping, but not until after she squeezed some information out of him; who he was, why he had taken her, where they were, and anything else she could use.  
  
She also had to find her transformation pen because at some point they must have taken it from her. She stood a better chance of escaping as Sailor Neptune than as Michelle Kiaoh.  
  
He served the food and she sat down at the table. He brought out some silverware and paused before handing her a knife.  
  
"You won't think of doing something stupid with this will you?  
  
"No, besides I'd probably stab myself if I did." she said with a slight smile.  
  
"That's good to hear" he said as with an unexpected grace the knife spun in his hand so the handle was facing Michelle, "I'm very well trained with knives, it's not a mistake I'd make." There was no threat in his voice, just a casual statement of his talents.  
  
"So once again, who are you" she asked as she politely tasted her food. It was surprisingly good and she was almost thank to her kidnapper.  
  
"Before we discuss anything, I do have a condition to ask of you."  
  
"And what's your condition?"  
  
"I'll answer anything you want truthfully, but you must do the same." he told her.  
  
"Alright, I agree. Who are you?"  
  
"You can call me Mimura for the time being. I'll give you my real name if you do cooperate."  
  
"I thought we had an agreement." she asked trying to sense his motives.  
  
"Yes, we do. We'll tell each other the truth. I didn't lie to you; Mimura is my last name. I save my first name for my friends, and-" he trailed off from what he was saying. "What is your name?"  
  
"I am Michelle Kaioh, I see no harm with telling you my name." she responded.  
  
"What were you doing at that hotel?" Mimura asked.  
  
"My partner and I were looking for someone." she said trying to remain vague and not give any too much information. She needed to find out what happened to Amara. "What were you doing there?"  
  
"You're keeping something from me Michelle, but you're not lying. Allow me to be straight forward with you." he said in a confident voice, "If the truth must be known, my partners and I are pursuing a vampire and that hotel was the last "associate" of hers that we knew about."  
  
Michelle remained silent as she tried to comprehend the situation. She and Amara had been chasing an enemy as well and trail led to the hotel. But could her and Amara and Mimura and his friends be pursuing the same enemy? Could they really be following a vampire?  
  
"There's no such thing as vampires." she finally responded.  
  
"Unfortunately, they do exist. Or one does exist as I believe she killed her followers." Michelle looked into his eyes trying to find some sign of deceit, he had to be toying with her.  
  
"A real vampire? A dead person who drinks blood, fears garlic and holy symbols, bursts into flames in sunlight-"  
  
"No, not quite" Mimura interrupted politely, "Most of what people know about vampires is wrong."  
  
"Would you care to explain then?"  
  
"If you like. Vampires do drink blood to survive. They only need so much blood and most do- well, did- not kill their victims. A few real sadists enjoy the kill, our quarry in particular likes to kill young women." Michelle was frightened by the simple familiarity in his voice, he might have been explaining how a car engine functioned, and there a note of disgust as well. "She hasn't created any new vampires in a long time, but when we saw you we thought she might have. We checked your throat, your arms, your thighs, the places she regularly feeds from..."  
  
He stopped in mid sentence as he caught her expression of shock and anger. The last thing she had expected was being told that he had inspected her body while she was unconscious-  
  
"Well, I didn't check you over. Aki did that and she did it in private..." he rambled embarrassed by the new situation. He quickly changed the subject, "Anyway, vampires don't care about garlic or running water."  
  
"Please continue" Michelle said, still fuming about being "inspected" as she stabbed at her food. He seized the opportunity and continued with his explanation.  
  
"Holy symbols only bother them if being wielded by a priest or priestess. You couldn't frighten a vampire with a cross, Aki could repel or harm one because she's a Shinto priestess, any holy object can focus her power. Sunlight doesn't destroy them unless they got caught in broad daylight in the desert for hours. They can walk around in and out of daylight and all it does it irritate their skin until it starts to sunburn. Though eventually even Hikari will burn in sunlight"  
  
"Who's Hikari?" Michelle asked. Mimura immediately became silent and somber, he didn't seem to want to discuss her and finally spoke after a long pause.  
  
"She's the vampire we're pursuing. The one that I must kill. I don't want to discuss anything else about her. At any rate, I've answered your questions, and now it's time to answer some of mine."  
  
Michelle was curious about his reaction to Hikari, but she needed to play along for the time being. She nodded her head in agreement. He reached into his pocket and threw a small object across the table.  
  
"What exactly is this?"  
  
She snatched her transformation pen off the table. He had found it on her but had made the mistake of returning it. She rose from her seat taking the chance he had presented her.  
  
"Thank you for returning that to me. I'm sorry but it's time for me to leave."  
  
"Michelle, please sit down and explain what that is-"  
  
"Neptune Crystal Power!" In a flash of blue light and the powers of the planet Neptune and the ocean Michelle transformed into her form as a Sailor Senshi. She didn't care if he witnessed it, it could be her only chance to get away.  
  
"Sit down Michelle!" he yelled at her. He seemed to be confused but not completely shocked by her transformation. He rose to his feet and from beneath the table drew a short sword in it's scabbard.  
  
"You can't stop me. I am the guardian of the seas, Sailor Neptune." After hearing her name for the first time he looked surprised. Almost like he expected a Sailor Senshi, but not a Sailor Neptune.  
  
"Sailor Neptune, don't force me-" he said as he started to draw the blade from the scabbard. She leapt backwards from the table to gain some distance, she no had choice but to attack. She gathered the powers of the sea and focused it into an orb of raw power.  
  
"Deep Submerge!" she cried as she released a ball of tidal force at him, he didn't even attempt to dodge the attack and seemed to be almost hypnotized by it. He cried out as the water overtook him and he disappeared from Neptune's sight in a small tidal wave. She almost felt sorry for him, but he had kidnapped her and deserved her punishment. Suddenly from within the wall of shimmering water came a flurry of missiles, she started in shock before diving for cover. The missiles struck the wall behind her and shattered into shards of ice. She leapt to her feet to face her enemy and she was again overtaken by surprised confusion.   
  
Mimura was now standing before her in a combat stance ready to launch himself at her. He was now wearing a dark silver uniform under a long dark blue coat that reached down to his ankles. His heavy boots were the same dark shade of navy and he had a pair of short swords in his hands with dull metallic blue blades. He smiled at her again with a intense look in his eyes.  
  
"So, the rumors were true. She did have a force of Outer Senshi." he said to himself.  
  
"And what do you know about the Sailor Senshi?" Neptune asked, startled that he knew of their existence.  
  
"I had been told there were only five Sailor Senshi; Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, and Jupiter. It looks like Serenity kept you secret from us. To think she wouldn't trust us-"  
  
"Who are you and how do you know about Queen Serenity?" Neptune demanded.  
  
"The Moon had soldiers to protect itself blessed with powerful magic. The Earth had warriors skilled with weapons and combat." he said as he stood up straight, "To promote peace between the two worlds, we were created; a force trained in the magic of the Moon and the combat skill of the Earth. I am Aries of the Constellation Knights."  
  
"Constellation Knights?" Neptune repeated in confusion. He lowered his blades and resheathed them.  
  
"We were the secret order of guardians, the Constellations watch over both the Earth and the Moon."  
  
------  
  
Back up and writing again. Thanks for all the continued support!  
  
Update: 2/25/04 - Gonna make a few revisions to the storyline, including a character name change. 


	14. Lita Falls in Love

Chapter 14: Lita Falls in Love  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
Lita yawned and stretched as she woke up on the beginning of a new day. She slept well despite the confusion of yesterday. So much had happened in such a short time and she couldn't help but feeling giddy excitement as she got up and started to get dressed. Serena and Rei had been the cause of a lot of problems recently and she still didn't know if everything had been resolved. She was worried that Serena might have finally done something that could break up their friendship. Aside from that things seemed to be back to normal if not better after they had finally wandered into he restaurant they normally visited. She put on a long blue skirt and a dark green blouse as she cheerfully reflected on the afternoon at the restaurant.  
  
------  
  
Mina and Lita did everything in their power to stop Amy from dragging them back to study. They had planned on studying at her apartment that day and if push came to shove Lita thought she could conveniently lose her keys. With luck she could put off the boring high school exam nightmare for another day, though Mina might have to fend for herself with Amy.  
  
"We need to study if you two want to get into any high school, especially if we all want the same school." Amy nagged.  
  
"Isn't Rei going to a different school anyway?" Artemis asked.  
  
"That's beside the point" Luna responded, "they still need to study for high school regardless of where they may or may not be going."  
  
"Thanks for that vote of confidence Luna." Mina said with a sigh as she misunderstood Luna's comment.  
  
"Maybe we should try for a lower school." Lita groaned. Both girls walked together in a gloomy haze wallowing in self pity.  
  
"I guess it's hopeless." Mina murmured.  
  
"This stinks! It's impossible to get into high school!" Lita cried.  
  
"I didn't mean it that way!" Luna yelled at them.  
  
"She meant whether or not Rei goes to the same school as us, not if you two fail and don't get in with us!" Amy said.  
  
"Oh, well why didn't you say that in the first place?!" Lita yelled.  
  
"We have a better chance than Serena anyway." Mina said with a smile.  
  
"That's just mean Mina, hasn't Serena had enough for the day." Lita said in annoyance.  
  
"Hey! Let's get something to eat before we go study!" Mina said suddenly to avoid the touchy topic of Serena and Rei.  
  
"Great idea Mina" Artemis said quickly jumping on the bandwagon. Luna groaned but didn't say a word as long as they weren't fighting.  
  
The girls walked across Tokyo making little bits of small talk. None of them had the money for the bus and they made slow progress as they fought to avoid bringing up the subject again. They eventually turned around the corner of the block where the restaurant was located. Luna and Artemis stuck together following at their heels keeping quiet while Lita and Mina talked about TV and boys. Amy was silent while they thought over the situation when she came to a stop.  
  
"Hey, was-" she started.  
  
"Huh?" Lita mumbled in mid sentence to Mina. Amy didn't answer but focused on a blonde girl wandering through the crowd on the other side of the street. It looked like Serena but she couldn't tell from the blonde pigtail that drifted through the crowd. She tried to identify the girl but the crowds of pedestrians made it impossible. The blonde girl seemed to be following a tall woman who looked like she was old enough to be in college, they turned the corner and disappeared from Amy's sight.  
  
"Never mind, I thought I saw someone I knew-" she said before rejoining them. Mina pushed open the door and entered the restaurant. Lita and Amy followed with the two cats in tow. The waitress greeted them as they entered.  
  
"Oh hi guys! Ser-" she said before suddenly stopping.  
  
"Did you say something?" Mina asked.  
  
"Yeah, uh, where would you like to sit? The regular booth?" she asked with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, of course!" Mina answered.  
  
"If it's being used we'll just kick them out." Lita said jokingly.  
  
"Ok, just follow me, oh you brought Luna and Artemis again!" the waitress said as she knelt down and gave the cats a quick scratch on the back and a pat on the head. The girls clustered into their booth as the waitress left to attend to her other customers. Luna took a space between Lita and Amy while Artemis draped himself across Mina's shoulders.  
  
"Let's not spend too much time here." Amy told her friends "We have a lot of work to do and-"  
  
"Yeah, yeah Amy-"  
  
"You need to take your studies more seri-"  
  
"Hey Lita! So, huh, what do you think about the Serena problem?" Mina said desperately trying to change the subject.   
  
"I think it's more of a "Rei problem" than Serena." Lita said sternly.  
  
"You changed to the wrong subject." Artemis sighed in Mina's ear. Mina mentally groaned when she realized she had left the frying pan for the oven.  
  
"How can it be a Rei problem when Serena is the one who made the mistake?" Luna asked from beside Lita.  
  
"How can any of you think that Serena could do something that stupid?!" Lita said at a near shout to Luna.  
  
"Did anybody remember that we found Rei's sandal the day she disappeared?" asked Amy quietly.  
  
"Oh yeah, so there is something wrong with Rei-" Lita began using it as evidence.  
  
"I didn't say that. We don't know how it got there-" Amy responded.  
  
"But it didn't belong in the forest! I know something happened and I bet that forest-"  
  
"Lita, don't jump to assumptions-"  
  
"I have an idea." Mina said suddenly interrupting both girls, "Let's ask Rei about it. Do either of you volunteer to ask her right now? Let's just drop it and eat something-"  
  
"Hey, you brought it up Mina" Lita growled at her. The waitress came back and she took their orders for a cheap quick lunch. They dropped both the subject of studies and their ordeal with their friends and started with the typical small talk of teenage girls; clothing, television, music, and finally boys.  
  
"Speaking of which Lita, check out the guy over there." Mina said with a smile as she looked past Lita to a young man in a booth opposite their own. Lita turned in sudden surprise and she gasped when she saw him. He was sitting alone and facing her but he didn't seem to notice her. She quickly whirled around in her seat and stared at him from over the bench. He had long black hair and the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. It was a strange contrast that she couldn't resist and it made him look like an exotic foreigner, the kind that would sweep her off her feet and take her to lands overseas.  
  
"He's gorgeous! He's just like my old boyfriend-" she mumbled absentmindedly to the others. She was obvious to the four groans behind her. "That black hair, his beautiful eyes, that face-"  
  
"Do you mind?" said a frustrated older woman in the booth Lita was leaning over. She didn't like having obnoxious teenagers ogle boys over her head or yell at the restaurant like another girl a few minutes before had done.  
  
"Lita, don't bother the other-"  
  
"Aahhhhh! He's looking at me!" she yelled in sudden shock. She was completely embarrassed by the young man as he smiled and nodded at her. She dove back into her seat and stared across at Mina.  
  
"Is he-" she whispered.  
  
"I think he likes you Lita!" Mina giggled as she watched him. He was smiling at her now but Mina could tell it wasn't for her.  
  
"No way! Don't play games with me!"  
  
"They're at it again." Luna mumbled.  
  
"Lita, I think he wants you to go over there-" Mina said unable to control herself from laughing. Lita cautiously peeked over the top of the booth again and caught his eye. It seemed he was expecting her to take another peek. He beckoned to her with a smile and she turned bright red and sat down again.  
  
"He wants me to go over there!" she shouted.  
  
"I'm jealous Lita!" Mina said, "Go get him before he thinks your crazy!"  
  
"Lita, we need to study-" Amy began.  
  
"I'll be back!" Lita said as she bolted up from the booth, caught her composure, and walked over to his booth. He rose from his seat to greet her.  
  
"Hello there." He said in a voice that literally purred with grace and elegance.  
  
"Hello! I'm Lita Kino!"  
  
"The pleasure Ms. Kino, I assure you, is all mine" he said as he gently took her hand and kissed it. Lita almost melted in his arms as she took her seat across from him.  
  
"So, Ms. Kino, my name is Ryoji Kiyouchi." he said a she stared into his eyes with a blissful smile on her face.  
  
"Hi! I'm Lita Kino!" she stammered. He chuckled politely at her forgetfulness.  
  
"I believed you've already introduced yourself."  
  
"What?! I did?" Lita blurted suddenly aware of her mistake. She turned bright red in embarrassment.  
  
"It's quite alright, I have a similar effect on all girls." Ryoji said with a half-smile on his face that made Lita's heart skip a beat. The statement would have sounded like a pathetic playboy line from anyone else, but from him it seemed to be almost apologetic.  
  
"So, why don't you tell me about yourself?" he asked.  
  
"Well, my name is Lit-" she repeated.  
  
"How about something aside from that?" he asked with his half-smile sounding like a patient father.  
  
"Uh, well, I love to cook! Oh, and my favorite flower is the rose!" she said cheerfully.  
  
"How nice. Anything else?"  
  
"Uh, I'm trying to get into high school right now with my friends. Those are my friends right over there!" she cried as she waved to Mina and Amy who were cautiously eavesdropping on her from afar. They timidly waved from across the restaurant well aware of everyone looking at them.  
  
"You have beautiful friends." Ryoji said. Lita frantically turned around instantly afraid he had the hots for Mina or Amy. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out as he smiled at her expression and spoke.   
  
"You are the most beautiful of the three."   
  
Lita simply stared at him completely stunned by his statement. She was certain she felt her heart stop as she stared into his eyes looking for any sign that he might be playing with her. When she determined that he wasn't playing with her, that he was sincere she felt a giddy rush of happiness she had never felt before. She had only met him moments ago but she was positive she had finally found true love.  
  
"Care to go for a walk?" he asked her. She didn't comprehend what he asked at first then nodded enthusiastically. He rose from his seat and she did the same.  
  
"Wait a second ok?" she said as she ran back to Mina and Amy. She didn't even see him nod in agreement.  
  
"Hey! What's going-" Mina started with a giggle.  
  
"I'll see you two later!" Lita said as she ran back.  
  
"Lita!" Amy shouted back at her, Mina blinked in surprise but didn't say anything, "Lita, we have to st-"  
  
"I'll meet you two later! Bye!" Lita shouted back as she ran to Ryoji's side. With a smile on her face they left the restaurant together. Mina could only stare at Amy in shock.  
  
"Did she just-"  
  
"Yes, she did!"  
  
------  
  
Mina and Amy stood in the hallway waiting for Lita for nearly an hour when the girl came bounding up the stairs. She seemed into be in a blissful world of her own and she didn't even notice them waiting by the door.  
  
"It's about time Lita!" Amy said.  
  
"Amy?!" Lita cried out in surprise, "W-what are you two do-"  
  
"Studying?" Mina offered.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry I almost forgot!" Lita said as she fumbled for her keys.  
  
"If you want to get into high school-" Amy began as Lita unlocked the door. There was a faint jingle as she opened the door.  
  
"Did you hear that?" Mina asked interrupting Amy.  
  
"Oh, wait a second!" Lita said as she stepped into her apartment in an awkward manner that blocked the other two from following. She seemed embarrassed as if she were hiding something from them.  
  
"Lita, what are you doing?" Amy asked in irritation.   
  
"Oh, it's a bit messy and I'm going to clean up!" Lita said with an unconvincing lie as she locked the door behind her.  
  
"Lita!" Mina yelled at the door. Lita quickly ran into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Looking around as if Mina or Amy could be watching her she drew a series of silver bells from her pocket. The bells were tiny but beautiful and they were bound together on a silver band of silk. She jingled them and giggled at their beautiful chime as she stashed them beneath her bed. She then ran back to the door and let a frustrated Amy and Mina in for their study session.  
  
------  
  
Fully dressed the morning after, Lita reached under her bed and drew out the bells. They had bugged her all night and she finally had a chance to hold them. She jingled them again and listened to the soft chime. It was like the music could reach into her soul, and each time she did it she would think about Ryoji. She never would have expected such a wonderful gift on a first date. She didn't tell Mina or Amy because both of them would have scolded her for accepting them, even locking them out so she could hide them. But today she wouldn't be afraid to let them know about her new bells, let them think what they wanted, she found herself an incredible boyfriend who had given her a fantastic present. She held the bells and thought about him before she reached down and slid the ring of bells over her toes and pulled them around her left ankle. She stood up from her bed and walked cautiously around her apartment listening to the jingling. She was satisfied with her decision, each time she took a step she could hear her bells and think about Ryoji. She was smiling as she slipped her shoes on and locked the door behind her on the way out.  
  
------  
  
Bit of a change of plans. I didn't have enough to make the continuation of Lita's little romance a full chapter, so I spare everyone two chapters dedicated to her! 


	15. Desperate Measures

Chapter 15: Desperate Measures  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
Mayuko finally left the bar shortly after midnight. The bar owner Tanaka had to be the biggest slave driver in Anakimori but she need the money. Every afternoon she had to tolerate Tanaka's whip cracking, the unending complaints from his fat wife and obnoxious daughter, all so she could serve sake to rude merchants, temperamental watchmen, and the regular drunkards. It was a thankless and poor-paying job she didn't want to do, but if she didn't do it nobody would look after her little sister and brother. Some people just had to do things they didn't want to out of necessity. She didn't notice she was being followed until an hand clamped around her mouth. She tried to scream but it came out muffled and there was sudden immense pain as knife stabbed into her kidneys. She felt her back become warm and wet from her blood as her attacker stabbed her again and again. The killer continued to stab into Mayuko, trying to kill her as quickly as possible before she could struggle away. Mayuko could hear her attacker whispering into her ears.  
  
"I'm sorry-" came the soft feminine voice from behind, crying as she continued to dig her knife into the young woman. As Mayuko died she understood that some people had worse things that had to be done of necessity.  
  
The woman became limp and she was quickly lowered to the ground, a thick damp cloth forced onto the bloody wounds in her back to prevent further bleeding. The killer then drew a small spouted bowl and a jug from her pack, she placed the bowl under the woman's neck and then cut her throat with the knife. Blood began to spatter into the bowl while the dead woman's head was held back. Quietly crying, the killer then removed the blood-soaked cloth from the woman and began to wring the blood out of it. Finally she poured the blood into the jug and sealed it with a cork. She then rolled the dead woman over and began to search the corpse for anything of value. She found a small purse filled with money, the woman's pay from the bar, and also took her necklace and earrings. She packed up her equipment, wiped her hands and knife on the woman's kimono, then ran into the night.  
  
------  
  
Hikari sat on the floor waiting for her sister to return from her late job. They had been in the city of Anakimori for nearly four months and life was difficult. Hikari had extreme difficult finding a job in the city as everything involved spending time outdoors. Ever since their escape from Kagoshima Hikari's skin had become very sensitive to sunlight, she felt uncomfortable leaving the house and she would sunburn in less than an hour. The journey had been a painful endeavor that she tried to keep from Miyo with little success, once Miyo demanded the truth Hikari had no choice to tell her. Once they finally reached the city and Hikari couldn't find work Miyo had taken the responsibility onto herself. Hikari had never accompanied Miyo to the butcher she worked for, she would leave in the late afternoon and wouldn't return until late in the night. She seemed to be ashamed by what she did because she never wanted to discuss her activities with her sister, her response was always "I'll take care of us". Hikari wondered what sort of arrangement she had with the butcher, an arrangement that allowed her twice a week to collect blood from the butchered livestock and bring it home for Hikari. Hikari both desired and dreaded the truth of the matter, she feared that Miyo had compromised herself for her sister, perhaps even offering him her body-  
  
The door banged open as Miyo stepped inside shivering slightly from the chilly night air.  
  
"H-hi H-hikari, I'm h-home."  
  
"Hello Miyo, you're home usually late this evening."  
  
"I'm sorry, I had to stay and tend to the animals." Miyo said, giving her too-frequent excuse for her absences as she shut the door behind her.  
  
"Miyo-"  
  
"Hikari, I brought something for you to drink, are you thirsty?" Miyo said as she offered her a small jug. Hikari smiled politely as she took it and poured a warm cup. She was grateful but still frightened by her condition and her sister's ability to attend to it. Hikari took a quick sip of the hot liquid as Miyo unloaded her pack by the door.  
  
"Miyo, I've heard some frightening rumors." Hikari started, wanting to share the news she had discovered from a rare trip outside, "There is a killer in the city recently, attacking defenseless women in the night-"  
  
"Yes, I've heard about that." Miyo said quietly pausing with her back towards Hikari.  
  
"You work very late Miyo, I'm worried." said Hikari. Miyo didn't turn around or move a muscle, she faced the corner with her head bowed. Hikari understood entirely; Miyo knew the risk but didn't want to admit it to her, afraid that Hikari would force her to stop.  
  
"Hikari, I promise you I'll be safe from the killer." Miyo said slightly above a whisper, "Please, let's not discuss it anymore." She turned and gave a poor reassuring smile to Hikari as she stepped off her geta sandals. She couldn't let her sister know the truth about the last three months of her life.  
  
------  
  
The geta had been stolen from her first victim, a drunken courtesan stumbling through an alley. Hikari was growing weak again from a lack of blood, she didn't want to take any from Miyo, and Miyo couldn't sustain her sister. She had gone out on her own walking the streets after spending their little savings on some house wares. She had no idea what she could do to survive, they needed money to last in the city and Hikari's health depended on something nobody sold, and most likely would brand them as monsters. She had wandered around the city in circles late into the night when she walked into an alley with a drunk woman approaching her. The woman had asked for some help finding her way home. Miyo backed away in shock and watched as the woman shuddered and feel back against the wall. She seemed to have lost consciousness and Miyo stared at her confused and frightened. She was obviously a streetwalker that had made a profit earlier in the evening. Miyo began to wonder how much money she had or if anybody would miss her in the morning without truly understanding what she was thinking about. She reached into her small pack and fished around for her recent purchases, among them a new knife and a small bowl. She was terrified but everything seemed surreal, she couldn't actually be squatting in an alley planning on murdering a drunk courtesan. The woman groaned and staggered into an awkward crouch supporting her weight on the wall. She didn't recognize Miyo from a few moments ago and asked Miyo for some money. Miyo acted on impulse and closed the distance to her.  
  
She didn't seem to mind the knife in Miyo's hands or the terrified expression in her eyes. She asked again for some money and Miyo gave a weak cry, charged the remaining distance, and stabbed her in the throat. She was immediately showered in hot blood and she screamed in surprise, backing away from the dying woman who gurgled and rolled over on her side. Miyo acted quickly remembering why she stabbed the woman and threw the bowl down under the spray, slowly collecting a small trickle. She waited for a few moments then reached for the bowl hesitantly, unsure if the woman had died or not. The woman didn't stir as Miyo's quivering hand took the bowl and laid it by her leg. She decided to search for any money the woman may have. She was already a killer and she didn't care if she had to become a thief, if that was the measure she would have to take to help her sister. The woman was virtually penniless but Miyo stole what little money she had, then snatched the platform sandals from the corpse. The extra two inches were a considerable benefit to the short girl, putting her at the average height of most women. She gathered her belongs and looked down on the woman she had killed and apologized. She had to care for her ill sister, if Hikari died she'd be alone in the world, and worst of all she would have failed Hikari. She didn't know if she could survive alone but she knew she couldn't live knowing she allowed her sister to die. She started to cry as she quickly walked away from the crime, sticking in the shadows so nobody would see her.   
  
Miyo didn't have a plausible explanation for Hikari when she returned with a bowl of blood. She quickly lied to her, telling Hikari she got a job working with a butcher and she had stolen it while he wasn't looking. In time she would tell Hikari that she had a clandestine agreement with him, she realized it was a mistake and she should have stuck with the theft story, Hikari wanted to know what type of arrangement that had made. She thought long and hard on her secret life and how she could stay safe. She was too short and lacked the muscle to subdue a man, she knew she was barely adequate to subdue another woman. She did some research into human anatomy, her only choice was to kill her victims as quickly as possible. It took her a week to build the courage to strike again.  
  
And so Miyo began a three month reign of terror.  
  
------  
  
Four nights later Miyo was hunting the streets again following another young woman. She didn't know who the girl was or why she wandered the dangerous streets on her own but she continued to follow her. For some reason she kept walking around the alleyways almost at random and she never seemed to notice that she was being followed. She kept walking slower and slower allowing Miyo to catch up to her, at last Miyo silently closed the distance to her latest victim, her grip tightening on the handle of her knife, trying to control her breathing, when suddenly she was hit from behind. She didn't know what has happening and she dropped her knife in shock as she was embraced in a powerful grip and a hand forced over her mouth. She felt herself pulled back so suddenly that she was lifted off the ground and her wooden geta slid off her feet and clattered against the alley. Miyo caught a glimpse of her victim and saw she had been hit from the side, pinned against the wall by a man with his hand against her mouth. She heard muffled cries from the woman. The man turned towards Miyo and smiled at her.  
  
"Well, well! To think we would have found the killer wandering the streets!" he said cheerfully.  
  
"Yes, I wander if that girl understands how lucky it is we found her Akihiro?" said the man holding Miyo. She squirmed in his grip afraid that she had been caught by the city guards.   
  
"You're a lucky girl my dear" said Akihiro still smiling "We've saved you from becoming that girl's latest victim." He released his grip on the woman who backed away from the wall in shock, her attention turned from her attacker to Miyo.  
  
"S-she is the killer?" she said in a stunned voice. Miyo began to shake her head and struggled to get free.  
  
"Yes, and we saved you from her" said Akihiro as he put on a friendly hand on her shoulder "but nobody will save you from us."   
  
The woman didn't seem to understand what he had just said until he had wrapped his arm around her chest and in one swift motion yanked her head back and bit into her throat. She tried to scream but nothing came out but a frantic gurgle and he fed on her blood. Miyo understood all too well what she was seeing and she screamed frantically under her attacker's hand and trashed to get free. She saw the other woman flail under Akihiro's arms and rivers of blood splatter on the ground and it was over mercifully fast. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and dropped the dead girl who hit the ground with a dull thud. He smiled at her with blood still on his lips.  
  
"How was it?" asked the man holding Miyo, seemingly oblivious to her struggles.  
  
"Not bad, what are you waiting for Hiroshi?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking we might want to take this one with us."  
  
"Hmm, you want to bring that little killer along?" Akihiro asked as he approached Miyo. She only stared at him in terror, confused by what they were talking about.   
  
"She already has a taste for blood, she might make an interesting companion for the Takeno brothers." said Hiroshi. Miyo had feared they were planning on saving her for a later day, but she began to understand with dread what they were talking about.  
  
"No, I think not, find some nice, pure, little thing to bring along" said Akihiro "Now hurry up before I take her from you." Hiroshi sighed and lifted Miyo higher, she began to uncontrollably scream again and struggled to escape, knowing that she was about to die. She felt cold lips touch her neck and braced herself for the fangs to tear her open. Then she heard an inhuman roar and she was suddenly flying through the air before crashing onto the cold stone ground with a heavy weight on top of her. She was dizzy and confused from fear and a hard blow to her head, she struggled to turn around and saw Hiroshi for the first time as he was lifted off of her and thrown over her head by raging demon with silver hair. The demon's face suddenly came into focus and Miyo cried out her sister's name.  
  
------  
  
She had gone out looking for Miyo, hoping to uncover her secrets, afraid of what the answers might be, when she heard a commotion nearby. Her senses were uncannily sharp at night and she could feel Miyo nearby and had rushed to her aid. She had turned the corner just in time to see the man tear open the woman's throat and she froze. For the first time she seen someone violently feed off blood and she knew instantly that they shared an affliction. She watched silently as the woman died and shuddered as she realized that she wanted to be the one feeding, she wanted hot blood on her lips, to feel a dying warmth in her arms, the warm feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction.  
  
And then Hikari remembered feeling her life draining from her. She felt the tight embrace of the man who had bitten her throat, the peaceful approach of her death, the dying beat of her heart. She remembered her death for the first time. She saw Lady Arisa trembling in the clutches of a horde as they fed off her blood. She heard the brave priestess shout out "Hikari! Go!" before she began to cry out in agony. Hikari remembered that Arisa had died for her, eaten alive by the blood drinking fiends. She could taste her mother's blood on her lips as she drank the blood pouring from Kimiko's throat. Hikari remembered the sweetness of Miyo's blood as she fed from her sister's hand. Miyo's warm blood. Miyo, Kimiko, Arisa, herself, she was flooded with memories of blood and terror and Hikari screamed like she had never screamed before. The world became a blur as she snapped back to reality just as the man's head lowered to her sister's throat and she launched herself with a speed she never knew was possible roaring as she leapt at the man striking him in the back. She heard a faint grunt from Miyo as she hit the ground hard with the blood-drinker on top of her and she charged forward, grabbing his shoulders and launching him off Miyo. He hit the ground hard and rolled crying out in confusion and pain.  
  
"Get away from my sister!" she roared at them. Akihiro helped his brother to his feet as he sized up the silver-haired woman.  
  
"Hiroshi! Are you alright?!" he asked. Hiroshi groaned and staggered to his feet.  
  
"Yes, looks like we got ourselves a newcomer." he said with a sneer. He was frightened by her speed and strength but wouldn't show it in front of his brother.  
  
"Listen up my dear," began Akihiro "Once they're on the streets they're up for grabs, all humans are a free meal for a vampire. She's my brother's prey and you will apologize and leave him to his meal!"  
  
"My sister is nobody's prey." Hikari growled as she approached them, gripped in a fury she had never experienced before.  
  
"Hiroshi, it looks like we'll be feeding on vampire tonight." Akihiro said and he charged Hikari. She wasn't expected the sudden burst of speed and she was tackled from below. She cried out as she hit the ground hard, he had knocked her over and was now straddling her body, his arms pinning his to the ground, she heard Miyo cry out in alarm. She saw him baring his fangs as he lashed out towards her throat, with a burst of strength she quickly raised her right arm and threw him off with the sheer momentum. He crashed into a wall as Hiroshi watched in shock and terror. Hikari climbed to her feet and charged her enemy. Akihiro staggered off the wall and looked up just to time to see Hikari's fist hurtling towards him. Everything slowed as the fist rushed towards him. His eyes grew wide as he understood the impossible speed and power she possessed and could see his death burning in her amber eyes and was paralysed with the shock and terror of encountering a vampire of impossible power.  
  
"It's her! Hiroshi! It's her!" he screamed as Hikari's hand punched through his face and through the wall behind him. Miyo screamed in the darkness behind her and Hikari withdrew her fist and licked the blood off of it. It had a sour but powerful taste to it and she turned to face the terrified brother. He took a few steps backwards from the shining amber eyes of the demon who killed his brother. He never even saw her move when she was suddenly clutching his head before her hands and holding him against the wall. She looked into his eyes and purred like a satisfied cat. Miyo cowered in the shadows holding her knees tightly and weeping in terror.  
  
"Your brother said 'it's her', what does he mean? What are you? What did you do to me?!" she growled as she tightened her grip on his head, she felt claws she didn't know she had digging into his skin.  
  
"I didn't do anything to you!" he cried in pain, "I'm a vampire just like you! Please don't hurt-" he screamed as she dug into his face.  
  
"What is a 'vampire'" she asked.  
  
"W-we're both vampires! W-w-we can live forever! Some of us have p-p-owers, strength, s-s-speed, sunlight h-h-hurts us-" he rambled through the pain, trying to answer her quickly so she would release him.  
  
"Who am I?" asked Hikari, she almost didn't care what about his definition of "vampire", the term was umimportant and irrelevant to her.  
  
"T-t-there is a group of v-v-vampires," he began as Hikari loosened her grip so he could explain "They're a group of aggressive and dangerous newbloods, they want to fight and kill all the humans-"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know why! I don't know much about them, except the other vampires are organizing to destroy them before they get out of control!"  
  
"Out of control?" Hikari asked as she dug her claws in.  
  
"Yes! Humans don't know we exist! If they did they could hunt us and destroy us! Please let me go-"  
  
"I might if you answer me. Now continue."  
  
"There's a rumor that the leader of the newbloods was looking for a girl. This girl had nightmares and lots of power, he wanted her for a queen of something." Hiroshi paused.  
  
"Continue."  
  
"Supposedly he found her, gave her the Gift, then abandoned her-"  
  
"Why would he abandon his 'queen'?" asked Hikari, remembering the last she died and the vampire who had attacked her.  
  
"Newbloods got to be abandoned to be free! If they're reborn around their creator they become mindless servants."  
  
"Go on."  
  
"She was supposed to be a potentially dangerous newblood, one far more powerful than any newblood should be, that's all I know, I swear!"  
  
"I need to know more!"  
  
"I don't know anymore-, Matsuzawa! He knows more! He's a vampire noble living in Nishiue! You can ask him, please leave me alone!" He gasped as Hikari released her grip on him and he fell on the ground. He looked up at the burning amber eyes and he cowered from them.  
  
"You are undeserving of my mercy and of my wrath. I will be nobody's queen, I curse the vampire who gave me this 'Gift' and I will kill him and any who follow him." Hikari said as she turned her back on him and walked away "You will suffer if we meet again."  
  
Hiroshi staggered to his feet and ran into the night. He bolted out of the alley as a group of awakened citizens approached him. They watched him run away and dispersed to summon the city watch.   
  
Hikari knelt beside her little sister. Miyo looked up at her, her eyes wide with fear, Hikari could see the tears drying on her face. Neither said anything to each other, both knew the truth about the monsters they had become and both were afraid. Hikari reached out and stroked her sister's face and then she stood up and turned to leave. Miyo quietly rose to her feet as well and ran to Hikari's side.  
  
------  
  
Long ass chapter to say the least! Sorry it's been a while, but with no school I can update the story more often! Change of plan, next chapter will be another Feudal one, there is still a lot of story to go before I'm done with this period. The following chapter should return to Serena and her new friend Kura. What's next? Well, Mina is "blessed" with an apporiate name for a vampire story! See you soon! 


	16. Choosing Sides

Chapter 16: Choosing Sides  
  
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Hikari and Miyo stood in the rain before a large manor on the outskirts of the city of Nishiue. Miyo shivered slightly in the cold breeze but Hikari barely felt it. She knew that Miyo was terrified and she prayed that Miyo didn't realize how frightened she was as well. They were about to enter the den of a "vampire", an older and more experienced version of the horrific monster that Hikari had become herself, and demand answers from him. It probably wasn't the best idea as she had no clue that other vampires were capable of, she knew only of her own unnatural speed and strength and the vampire Hiroshi had said that some vampires possessed special powers. She almost didn't care about her own life, perhaps dying before she learned the truth would be best, but she feared what could await Miyo in the dark house.  
  
Both of the sisters were armed now, Hikari wore a katana and a wakizashi at her waist, the scabbards tied into the sash of her kimono. Despite having a katana of her own, Miyo still carried around her kitchen knife. The small blade had taken on an almost talismanic role in her life and she wouldn't part with it. Hikari had taken the weapons from a trio of drunken ronin she had killed. The renegade samurai decided they would harass the seemingly defenseless pair of young women they stumbled upon and had paid with their lives. While she didn't need the weapons she found that being armed prevented trouble from starting in the first place. However, she hadn't fed in nearly two and a half weeks, her strength and speed were deteriorating and she didn't want to rely solely on them. She hoped that her father's swordsmanship had been passed on to her.  
  
"Hikari" Miyo whispered at her side, "Are we going to go in?"  
  
"Yes Miyo. Stay close to me." Hikari said as she approached the large gates. The gates were made of wood reinforced with iron and towered several feet over the girl's heads. Hikari studied them as they approached, at about nine feet high she should be able to climb over them if her jumping power hadn't diminished too badly. Suddenly the massive gates began to swing open, Miyo gave a started yelp and hid behind Hikari. Standing beyond the gates was a woman in a white kimono with her head bowed.   
  
"Lord Matsuzawa is expecting you." said the woman politely. As she motioned for them to follow her. Hikari felt Miyo's hand digging into her yakuta and she calmly reached down and took her little sister's hand into her own. She was trembling and her hand was cold, cold but filled with a warmth Hikari lacked and craved. She squeezed Miyo's hand to clear her head of such horrible thoughts and she led her sister into the manor grounds. The manor's grounds were simple but the size of the walled complex was a sign of Matsuzawa's wealth. They saw several armed men wandering the grounds looking alert but none seemed to pay any attention to them or the pelting rain. Matsuzawa seemed to employ many young women all wearing similar white kimonos. Their hostess led them into the manor which was dimly lit and almost bare from decorations. The entire house was cold and dark and almost devoid of people, a series of large empty rooms and long hallways. Their hostess led them to a large door and then stopped and turned to the sisters.  
  
"I'm sorry, but Lord Matsuzawa will only grant you audience." she said bowing toward Hikari.  
  
"Excuse me?" Hikari asked.  
  
"Wait, but what about me?!" whimpered Miyo.  
  
"Your sister will have to wait here." the woman said. Hikari looked at Miyo and saw the fear in her eyes.  
  
"You can't leave me here Hikari!" she cried. Hikari didn't want to leave Miyo alone. But Matsuzawa had the answers she needed and surely his servants, if they were vampire creatures as well, wouldn't attack his guest. She put a comforting arm around Miyo feeling the girl shiver.  
  
"Miyo, I need to speak with him."  
  
"No, please Hikari-" the younger girl moaned.  
  
"You'll be safe. He wouldn't allow anything to happen in his home." Hikari whispered trying to convince her sister. Miyo was silent for a moment and sniffled on the verge of tears. She then silently nodded. Hikari hugged her and stepped away.  
  
"Please, come with me." said their hostess extending a hand. Miyo quietly took it and let herself be led back the way they came. Hikari watched as they walked back the way they came and then faced the large doors. She steeled herself for whatever may come next. She was frightened to face a creature that wanted to meet her as much as she needed to meet him. How did he know she was coming? Did the surviving Takeno brother warn him? It suddenly dawned on Hikari that perhaps Matsuzawa wasn't curious about the strange "newblood" and this was a trap to kill her before she became a threat to him for whatever reason. She was regretting sending Miyo away, if Matsuzawa wanted her dead then what would he do to her little sister afterwards? She should have demanded that Miyo come along, it was better if they died together than to abandon Miyo to whatever torture he had prepared. She started to turn around so she could find Miyo when the doors opened. She didn't think about Miyo as she stepped into Matsuzawa's receiving room.  
  
Hikari took everything in as quickly as possible. Matsuzawa sat on a platform raised a couple of inches from the floor. Beside him was short table nearby with a small cup resting on it. The room was lit by large and foreign looking braziers and a handful of his servants wandered the room attempting to look busy. He was a decadent looking man who appeared to be in his forties. His hair was short and black and he was dressed in fine robes and sitting on large cushions. He was both ordinary looking and frightening in his silent mannerisms, the way he watched her in silenced as she looked around the room. If Matsuzawa wasn't a dangerous vampire he might have been a dangerous yukaza lord. As she approached him slowly she looked into his eyes. His eyes were a common shade of brown but she could see something ancient and sinister in them.  
  
"Greetings, I am Matsuzawa." he purred in a deep voice.  
  
"I am Hikari Nanahara" she said as she bowed politely.  
  
"Please sit down." the vampire said with a sweeping gesture. Hikari sat on her knees on a small cushion. She opened her mouth to speak when a beautiful young woman of about seventeen sat on her knees before her, too close for her comfort, with her head bowed. Like the others she wore an elegant white kimono, her long brown hair trailing behind her, and she smelt of sweet perfume. She was so close Hikari could almost feel the quick beat of her heart. The girl lifted her head to Hikari, her eyes were a vibrant blue with a haunting emptiness within them, it was like Hikari was staring at an inanimate glass-eyed doll. She smiled at Hikari and then she slid her kimono off her left shoulder.  
  
"Please" said the girl in a sweet quiet voice "Feed from me." Hikari recoiled in shock and looked past her to Matsuzawa.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?!" Hikari demanded.  
  
"You are a guest in my home." said the vampire politely "It is only proper for me to offer you a meal."  
  
"Please feed." said the girl. Hikari could only stare at her as she quietly sat with her head down.  
  
"But-" she began.  
  
"Take what you want. Please." the girl repeated as Matsuzawa responded to Hikari.  
  
"She offers you her life to sate your hunger. She does so of her own will. I would not offer you something I would miss." he said slightly bemused. Hikari looked at the young girl who sat silently before her. She could hear the girl's heart and it called out to her. She was starving and she knew that only blood would ease her suffering and recover her strength. As she stared at the girl's neck she watched the girl's pulse as blood rushed through her veins, she heard the girl's quiet breathing, she was so hungry, Miyo was outside and she would never know-  
  
Hikari lunged forward and took the girl into her arms. She held her tightly with her right arm around her waist and her left forced the girl's head back exposing her throat. She didn't hesitate to sink her fangs into the girl's soft neck, tearing into and tasting the sweet blood. The girl sighed peacefully as Hikari began to greedily drink. She didn't fight or struggle as Hikari killed her. Eventually Hikari pulled her lips from the dead girl's throat and released her, the girl slid to the ground silently as more of Matsuzawa's servants appeared to drag the corpse away. Hikari wiped warm blood from her mouth and gazed at her benefactor feeling refreshed and nourished for the first time in weeks.  
  
Matsuzawa smiled at her, a cold and arrogant smile.  
  
"This girl has given her life and essence to you. What she would have wasted in a scant few decades you will keep and harness, it shall give you immortality and power. Her youth has become yours, her vitality will prevent harm to your body, in time you will learn to absorb her very soul and memories into your being. It is her Gift to you."  
  
"I need to understand what I've become." Hikari said politely, absorbing his words "I need to know what I am and how I can use it against my enemies."  
  
"And who are your enemies?" asked Matsuzawa with a sneer. Hikari remanded silent.  
  
"Those who gave me this Gift that I didn't want." Matsuzawa gave an unapproving sneer at her words but he ordered away his servants and began to speak.  
  
------  
  
Miyo had been waiting in the hall for nearly two hours. There was heavy rain from outside and the hall wasn't as well lit as she would have preferred. However, being alone in the dark was probably better than being with any of Matsuzawa's creepy servants. All of them were women in white kimonos and they all seemed so subdued. If Matsuzawa was like Hikari then he drank blood too, and Miyo wondered if he fed on his servants. She shuddered at the thought and tried to block it from her mind. There was a shiver on the back of her neck and she started to turn around when powerful hands wrapped around her waist and mouth. She gave a muffled scream as she heard a voice in her ear.  
  
"Remember me?" said Hiroshi, the surviving Takeno brother. Her heart raced as Miyo understood what was happening.  
  
"My brother is dead now. I could never face your sister to avenge him, but I will avenge him by tearing you into pieces." he growled. Miyo struggled to no avail and screamed under his hand as he bit into her throat.  
  
------  
  
Hikari listened to Matsuzawa in near-silence, she only spoke when he indicated some response or she had a pressing question to ask. Matsuzawa was patient and helpful almost like a teacher working with a difficult pupil. The hours passed quickly as Hikari learned the history of the vampires and their secret existence in the world of men. She found it hard to believe that they could not only maintain their secrets but also rise to power without attracting unwanted attention. She listened almost impatiently when Matsuzawa become to explain the changes to her body, the dependency on blood, the enhanced strength and speed, the dangers of sunlight, and her near-immortality. He finally fell silent after completing his lesson and took a sip from his cup. Hikari seized the moment to ask the question she needed to know.  
  
"Pardon me, Lord Matsuzawa, but I had a question to ask of you."  
  
The elder vampire, some eight hundred years old, didn't seem surprised. "You wish to ask about yourself and the Newbloods?" he asked. Hikari only nodded her head.  
  
"Very well" the vampire said as he started to explain.  
  
"As you understand by now the term "Newblood" refers to new vampires. This group in particular is dangerous. They are led with a fanatic zeal by a young vampire barely sixty years old who advocates the vampires of the world rising up to destroy the human population. He has sought aid from many vampire lords and has threatened several, including myself, if we didn't join them in this crusade of theirs. They call themselves the Children of the Blood Moon, a name that likely has no signifigence outside of our obvious nocturnal nature and his childish intellect. They have extremely vocal within the vampire population about their "mission" and rumors have spread about them looking for a young woman with strange dreams. They refer to her as their queen and she is rumored to possess immense power, a newblood capable of destroying an elder vampire."  
  
Matsuzawa chortled at the thought while Hikari remained silent.  
  
"Do you think that they are referring to me?" Hikari asked quietly. She tensed her body in anticipation of his response. If Matsuzawa wanted to kill her his intentions would be revealed soon. He chortled again.  
  
"Yes, for what that is worth. The "Children" are nothing more than dangerous vermin to be exterminated. But they appear to have stumbled upon somebody with incredible potential."  
  
"Why are you helping me?" Hikari demanded as she leapt to her feet and approached his platform, "If I am the "queen" of your enemies then-"  
  
"Hold your tongue!" Matsuzawa roared as he rose to his feet. Hikari was overpowered by his presence and took a step back in shock. She didn't move as Matsuzawa stepped off the platform and his powerful hand reached under her chin and held her face tightly.  
  
"I aid you because you interest me. I don't fear the Children nor their threats nor you. Do not forget, the vampire who gave you the Gift was the leader of the Children. He is the enemy who wish to destroy. I can help you destroy him, but I will not tolerate disrespect!" Matsuzawa bellowed as he threw Hikari down. She landed in silence and laid at his feet quivering with both fear and rage.  
  
"I would be willing to welcome you into our society once the Children have been destroyed." he said quietly "A reward for a young vampire who helped defend our kind. A chance to develop your powers, to appreciate your longevity, a chance to be wealthy and powerful."  
  
Hikari stumbled back to her feet and faced Matsuzawa. She was furious with both the Children and Matsuzawa, she felt violated and used by everyone. She looked up at the vampire and stared into his eyes and she had only a single question to ask.  
  
"And what about Miyo, my little sister?" she whispered. "What happens to her once I've joined you?"  
  
"If the girl is important to you, then you will give her the Gift as well." Matsuzawa said with shrug.  
  
"I can't." Hikari said, her voice beginning to break down from emotions.  
  
"It is simple enough. You take her blood to the point of death and then you can revive her with some of your own." Matsuzawa muttered in disinterest, not even looking at her.  
  
"No."  
  
"I have warn-" Matsuzawa began as he turned to face Hikari again, falling silent as he looked into her amber eyes.  
  
"I will never turn Miyo into a demon like us." the girl growled as she stared directly into his eyes, she could see his arrogant gaze turn into a mixture of alarm and fear. He tried to regain composure and he spoke.  
  
"She will never be safe as a human. No group of vampires would accept her into their midst. The temptation would be too much. Us, the Children, every vampire in Japan will be after her-" Matsuzawa trailed off as he was greeted by the fearsome penetrating look in her eyes.  
  
"Nobody, NOBODY, will ever touch Miyo AGAIN." Hikari said in a low predatory rumble. Matsuzawa's jaw dropped and he stepped away from the girl in shock. Hikari stepped onto the platform when the doors behind banged open to the sound of a girl screaming. Hikari spun around to see Miyo running towards her screaming in fear.  
  
"Miyo!" she cried out as she ran down to her. The younger girl hurled herself on her sister and Hikari saw with horror that she was soaked in blood from a ragged wound in her neck. She held Miyo tightly ignoring the angry bellows from Matsuzawa behind her, all she could concentrate on was her terrified sister.  
  
"Miyo, what happened?!" Hikari asked as she held the girl. She turned to face Matsuzawa, knowing that he was responsible.  
  
"What did you do to her?!" Hikari shouted. Matsuzawa ignored her as he looked past her to the doorway.  
  
"Who dares attack ME?" Matsuzawa roared. Hikari turned to face the door as she heard Miyo whisper against her chest.  
  
"H-hikari...i-its..its...L-l-lady, Lady Ar-"   
  
Hikari never heard her. Her eyes grew wide as she watched a woman walk into the room. She led a force of armed men who trailed behind her. Her light red hair flowed behind her and her green eyes burned with the unnatural light of a vampire. The priestess who sacrificed her life for Hikari led a team of vampires into Matsuzawa's receiving room and Hikari felt cold terror as she recognized the vampires who had attacked Arisa fanning out around her to face Matsuzawa.  
  
"All of you will die for this outrage!" bellowed Matsuzawa and flew off the platform at Arisa. Hikari watched as the priestess calmly and effortlessly threw a ward at him. The ward struck him in the face and in a flash of white light he was hurled against the wall.  
  
"Subdue him" Arisa said softly as her follows rushed toward Matsuzawa. The priestess smiled as she approached Hikari and Miyo.  
  
"A-Arisa." Hikari whispered as her old friend walked towards her. Miyo whimpered and clutched at Hikari tighter.  
  
"It's alright Hikari. I'm here." the young woman said in a reassuring voice. "Please Hikari, Miyo is hurt and she needs me."  
  
"No-" Miyo whispered at Hikari's side. She felt cold under Hikari's arm and she was violently shaking.  
  
"I rescued her as we stormed the manor. She'll die if I don't help her." Arisa said softly. Hikari head was starting to swim with all that had happened into moments. While she was stunned and terrified by Arisa's appearance she trusted her friend.  
  
"Please Arisa, save Miyo." Hikari whispered as she released her sister. The girl didn't protest above a whimper as Arisa took her in her arms and she stooped down and put her lips to Miyo's ravaged throat. Hikari watched in silence as Arisa sipped the blood from her throat and then put her fingers to her lips. She chanted something Hikari couldn't hear and then put her fingers to Miyo's throat. After a moment or two she smiled at faced Hikari as she rustled the younger girl's hair.  
  
"She'll be fine. I sealed the wounds, she'll be weak from the blood she lost and it may scar-" Arisa stopped and smiled again at Hikari still holding Miyo.  
  
"Arisa, what is going on?" Hikari finally asked.  
  
"There is much to explain Hikari. It involves you and Matsuzawa. We'll take him regardless of his wishes, but I beg of you Hikari to join us."  
  
"But, the Children, you-"  
  
"Please Hikari. You don't understand the Children of the Blood Moon and you don't know why this has happened to you. Please come, I swear to you Hikari, you will understand everything if you come with us."  
  
Hikari stepped forward to take her sister from Arisa. Nothing made sense any more. She didn't know who her enemies were. She was terrified and tired. She prayed that she could trust Arisa and the Children.  
  
------  
  
Shaburo looked the smashed door leading into the manor with dread in his stomach. The manor grounds looked like a battlefield and he had no way of knowing that it had been one only hours before. He was afraid to enter but had to know the truth. Rumors in the area spoke of a pair of young women around Hikari and Miyo's age trying to find the reclusive lord Mastuzawa. He had grim thoughts in the past of that he placed too much faith in rumors of two traveling girls, realistically after Kimiko's murder he thought that assuming Miyo was still alive was naive and optimistic. Still, she was a sweet young girl and he wouldn't give up on her anymore than he would on Hikari. He saw Hikari in his dreams. Her ravishing silver hair, the amber light of her eyes, the body of a goddess wrapped in a peasant's yukata. She always smiled in his dreams, and for the first time he realized he had never actually seen Hikari smile. In the time since her disappearance Shaburo dug deeper and deeper into his memory for her. He never realized in their time together as neighbors in a small village how distant and lonely she always seemed. He had first thought it to have been shyness perhaps mixed with an attraction to him but Hikari had always been cold and formally polite to Shaburo. The more he thought about Hikari the more he questioned his attraction to her. Did he really love her enough to risk his life to rescue, was his quest to find her a fool's folly? He might never see his ill father again because of his journey to find a girl who may already have been murdered like her mother. If Hikari had been killed by whoever killed Kimiko and probably Arisa what would he do then? Dedicate his life to avenging her? Did Hikari mean enough to him to throw away his life for her memory?  
  
There was a creaking sound behind him. Shaburo became suddenly alert...and found himself deep inside the manor. He looked around frantically on the verge of panic, he hadn't slept much in days and he daydreamed while walking into the manor. A mistake like this could get him killed. The manor was dark and cold and he couldn't see far enough in front of him to be comfortable, a faint light came from a small windowing providing a minimal amount of illumination. His hands lowered to his wakizashi blades at his waist when he heard a rustling sound, he whirled around in time to see a shadowy figure leap at him from the darkness. It hissed and laughed as it knocked him over and rested its weight on him. He felt claws digging into his shoulders and he desperately punched the creature in the fact to no ill effect. The creature lunged out with its hand and slapped him across the face. He was dazed from the blow but knew Hikari had killed him after all. He was barely aware of a soft noise that reminded him of the thwang of a bow. The creature roared and he felt hot blood splatter on him. The creature wheeled around to face it's attacker and Shaburo saw a flash in the low light that cut through the creature. Still in a daze he watched as the creature erupted in blood and slid into two pieces. Behind it was the faint outline of a man who held a katana in his right hand, light reflecting off the edge of the blade. Shaburo cautiously crawled backwards peering into the darkness trying to better see his saviors when one of them spoke.  
  
"Are you ok?" said the man with the katana. There was silence from the other. Shaburo spoke up.  
  
"T-thanks...for saving me...but-" he fell silent as the man stepped forward and extended his right hand to Shaburo. He was dressed like a ronin samurai, unkempt and with his left sleeve lying limp against his side.  
  
"Take my hand. There is much for you to learn." said the ronin. Shaburo reached up and took his hand, and as he regained his feet he realized the ronin had no left arm.  
  
------  
  
Chapter 16 update AGAIN  
  
Update: 3/4/04 - Quick story update. Wheee! Back in action! The Feudal chapters are getting longer and longer in attempt to wrap them up in as few chapters as possible. The main storyline needs to get back on track and I've got some interesting twists ahead.  
  
Update: 3/6/04 - Finally finished 16. One of those stubborn chapters that don't want to be written. Next chapter returns to the modern period for a while. 


	17. Back from the dead update

finally a new update!  
  
I'm not dead and neither is the story! I've been months without a usable computer because I've moved out on my own and now I'm all set. I'll be converted pen and paper writing to PC text over the next couple of days and have a new chapter up within a few days.  
  
Oh, the new system here rocks! Consider a full revision of the story with better formatting and correction of any typos or other issues coming shortly.  
  
Thanks for your continued support  
  
-DarkbladeX17


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